


You Changed

by PerditusFic



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, Dark Swan Arc, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-07
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-05-12 08:21:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 49,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5659390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerditusFic/pseuds/PerditusFic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma and Regina were happily married until the savior took in the darkness to save her wife. Even as the new Dark One, Emma still seems the same but a rift forms between them. In attempt to save the marriage and love they share, they try everything to fix it, including one Dr. Hopper, the town's convenient, new Marriage Counselor. Established SQ. Co-authored by Withgirl.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This honestly couldn't have come as a surprise. Who wasn't inspired by that scene with them on the opposite ends of the couch like a couple in counseling? I was immediately so here we are: another fic. I promise to update everything else I just have to get this out there and it's all my beta/coauthor's fault.
> 
> Speaking of...this brilliant idea of a story will be coauthored by the infamous Withgirl.
> 
> Happy reading and let me know what you think.

The brunette studied her phone screen as she expertly poured Emma and herself glasses of wine. She frowned at the screen for a moment and then turned it off with a sigh. She sat the phone down on the counter and glanced over her shoulder to check that no one was coming. Just for all the stress work had given her she downed her glass before refilling it again and made her way back to the dining room.

Right before she made it to the door, she heard the distinct sound of giggling and clapping. At first she frowned slightly but then grinned watching the spoon float around Tamsin's head.

She looked to the happy child and then over to her wife who was concentrating on her task. Her eyes were squinted and her tongue poke out from between her lips. Regina chuckled silently before setting the wine down on the table and grabbing the blonde's glasses. She walked over behind Emma's chair and placed them on her face. The blonde only pushed them up her nose as Regina kissed her hair.

"I don't get it," Henry frowned watching his brunette mother sit down.

"Get what, dear?" Regina asked continuing her food from the pause she took in the kitchen.

"Why is that so funny?" he questioned gesturing over to Emma and Tamsin.

"Sweetheart you know they're both silly children," Regina replied and Emma immediately snapped to her with a grimace.

"I am not," she frowned causing the spoon to drop and the five-year-old shoulders slumped in disappointment.

"No magic, mommy," Tamsin whimpered, grabbing the spoon and pushing it in her blonde mother's direction.

"One second baby," Emma said looking at Regina's smirk, "Did you just call me a child?"

"I believe that's exactly what I said, dear."

"You don't say that when the lights go off."

"Ew," Henry said scrunching up his nose. Because Tamsin either mimicked everything Emma or Henry did more often than Regina, the girl scrunched up her nose as well, sticking her tongue to add to the look. She had no clue what was going on really and she didn't really care so as long as it had nothing to do with the lack of magic in her spoon. She had very little concept of magic at her age since Emma frequently showed her the trick but never quite understood how it worked. Regina lightheartedly rolled her eyes at the pair.

"Mommy, 'poon," Tamsin said tugging Emma's shirtsleeve persistently.

The blonde to her carbon copy and took the spoon from her hand made it float again. The little blonde clapped happily at the resuming of the trick. Emma kept a close eye on it before turning back to her seemingly impressed wife and gave her a shit eating grin.

"Emma as cute as your little trick is, there's a certain little blonde who needs to eat her dinner before it gets cold," Regina said purposely looking over to Tamsin who grabbed her floating utensil and pouted at she grumpily shoveled peas into her mouth. Henry chuckled at the scowl.

"She looks like Ma when she does that," he said.

"I know," Regina grinned before schooling her feature and shooting the little blonde a look. "Don't give me that look young lady."

"Sorry, mama," she replied looking shamefaced.

"Oh come on Regina," Emma said leaning over and pulling the girl out of her seat and onto her lap. "It's Friday and you've already got us eating meatloaf and vegetables instead of…" she put her hands over the little girl's ear's and said in a whisper, "Pizza."

"I'd like us to not have greasy foods so often because I have three children who I wouldn't want to get their arteries clogged with French fries and bearclaws."  
Emma just rolled her eyes as Tamsin pushed her hands away from her ears and started to stick her finger in her mother's food. Emma deflated watching the little finger scoop up mash potatoes but it was worth it to see her wife cringe.

"Well, she's done anyway…everyone is done. Let's get going," the blonde said standing up from her seat and putting her daughter on her hip. "Henry go pick a movie, I'll go get Tamsin in the bath, and we'll have movie time."

"Emma. Dishes?" Regina asked raising an eyebrow as she sipped the last of her wine.

"Yeah, I know…after the movie," she said looking away from her wife. The brunette got up from the table and grabbed Tamsin from the blonde.

"I'll take Tamsin, while you get the dishes now." Emma started to protest but was silenced by Regina kissing her softly before retreating up the stairs. Henry walked passed her chuckling as he went to go find a movie.

"Yeah, yeah laugh it up," the blonde grumbled beginning to collect the plates, attempting to avoid the sticky mess that was Tamsin's spot at the table. As she filled the left side of the sink with water, however, she heard a splash above her head. Soon after an adorable giggle sounded through the house. Emma bit the inside of her cheek trying not to laugh at the obvious fact that the sound indicated that their daughter was giving her brunette mother a hard time.

"Tamsin!" Regina yelled as the sound of little feet skittered around the floorboards above her.

"'I'll take Tamsin'," Emma said copying her wife's previous words and outwardly laughing to herself.

* * *

**Six months later...**

Regina stood in the kitchen and rolled her eyes once again, clutching the phone closer to her ear out of frustration.

"This is not important enough to take me away from my family dear," she finally said, interrupting her assistant's incessant babble. "I will deal with this in the morning."

Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and made her way back to the dining room. As soon as she got close, she heard someone clapping in glee and furrowed her brow instantly and walked quicker into the room. She clenched her jaw as soon as she saw a fork hovering around her daughter's head. Looking over at her wife, she narrowed her eyes at her and the fork fell back to the table, causing Tamsin to frown and whimper in disappointment.

"Why no magic?" the five year old cried as she grabbed the fork and inspected it.

Henry looked from his sister to each of his mothers, before he nudged her and whispered, "Just eat, Tammy."

The girl looked thoroughly confused and looked over to her blonde mother, she hadn't seen her in so long and she seemed perfectly normal, even if her hair was different and she was generally paler. But at the same time, she could see a difference in the way that other people treated her, almost as if they were afraid of her.

"What are you doing?" Regina asked lowly. The newest Dark One sighed and leaned her head on her hand, she had hoped that this dinner would actually go well.

"Tamsin asked me to show her a spell, I used to do it all of the time," the blonde shot back.

"That was very different," Regina breathed.

Henry bit his lip and looked at his little sister again, he was sure that this was not something that she should see, but before he could attempt to move, his mother was already far too focused on her tirade.

"How is it any different? It was just a floating fork, Regina," Emma replied, slowly raising from her seat to stare down her wife.

"Do you not understand your…situation?"

"Situation?" the blonde laughed incredulously, "Situation, Regina? Just say it...I'm the Dark One!"

Tamsin tugged Henry's sleeve, clearly frightened by her mother's title. Though she didn't fully understand the implications, she knew that it meant something bad. She had asked Henry what it meant while she was waiting for the former savior to come home, but he had just said that she couldn't understand.

"So that means you understand my point," Regina replied, her voice gradually coming up in volume.

"It. Was. A. Fork!" Emma shouted, no longer able to control her anger in the way that she once had been able to. "I was showing Tamsin a simple magic trick."

"With dark magic!"

"You don't think that I can control myself?!"

"I know you can't!" Regina finally shouted back.

Emma's mouth fell open and after a moment, she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Silence fell over the room and Regina sighed heavily, looking at the floor. Her head soon snapped up, however, to the sound on crying and she saw her clearly distressed daughter letting out heaving sobs. As quickly as possible, she made her way around the table and made to pick up the little blonde, but instead, Tamsin threw herself into Henry's arms.

"Tamsin…" Regina tried, somewhat desperately.

"No!" the girl snapped through her tears, "You made mommy go away again."

The brunette looked up at Henry, who offered her a sympathetic, understanding look. Though she would have craved that expression years ago, it didn't help the current situation, or the sorry state that her marriage was currently in.

"I know, baby," she sighed, "She'll come back…I promise."

Tamsin refused to turn to look at her and Henry brought his arms around her and stood from his chair.

"How about an extra-long bed-time story?" the teen whispered as he ran his fingers softly through her long locks. Brown eyes looked back at him, she seemed to have calmed down marginally and finally nodded.

Henry was about to walk away, before he thought better of it and turned back to Regina, "You know, I think that both of you have to try harder to make this work."

Regina was about to protest, before she just looked down and nodded whispered, "I know."

With that, she felt a soft kiss to her cheek from Henry, during which, Tamsin briefly leaned against her brunette mother. But a moment later, she found herself alone, surrounded by yet another unfinished family dinner.

* * *

Regina felt a particular heavy breeze run across her face and she rolled her eyes as she continued to trek through the forest. This was not how she had wanted to spend the night.

She was sure that this would finally be the night that she and Emma could be civil to each other, but the sight of Emma using such dark magic, not matter how innocent the intention, had just struck a chord. In that moment, all she could think about was the numerous spells that her own mother had cast during her youth and the number of times that she wished her father would have the courage to do something about it.

She now realized that she was being irrational, but still had no intention of apologizing to the blonde, as petulant as it was, she didn't see why the woman deserved it after the rift she had caused in their once perfect family.

Finally, she entered a clearing where Emma had taken her camping. Not that she would ever admit it, but it wasn't the worst honeymoon in the world, and in the sheriff's defense, leaving town was not exactly an option.

Her heels crunched over the leaves and she zeroed in on the blonde sitting cross legged exactly where their tent had been pitched that night.

"This is not what I wanted to be doing tonight, Emma," she sighed. The Dark One looked up and rolled her eyes at her wife, pushing herself off the ground, she turned away from her so that she couldn't see just how close to tears she was.

"You could have just commanded me to come home," she snapped while running her hand across her face and then turning back to face the former Evil Queen.

"I would rather have not had yet another argument in the same house as our children."

"So you would rather argue in the forest?" the blonde shot back.

"No," Regina replied with an exasperated sigh, "I don't want to argue, I want everything to go back to how it was. I want my wife back!"

"I am your fucking wife, Regina, I just have a little more power than I did before."

"I wonder if Rumple ever said something similar to Belle," the mayor said mockingly.

"Are you seriously comparing me to him?! All I did was take some time alone, he sent his son through a portal because he couldn't take the idea of being without magic!"

"Are you telling me that there was a choice between Tamsin and your magic that the choice would be easy?"

There was a silence and Regina's eyes widened, she had been half joking. Emma looked at her facial expression and held up her hands, "Of course I would choose Tamsin."

"Assuming that the moment of hesitation hadn't already sealed her fate!"

The blonde looked down at the ground in shame and Regina felt anger flood her system, "You claim to be the same old Emma, but the savior we all knew would have given her life for even her worst enemy. Now you have to think about whether or not you would give anything for your own child!"

The blonde swallowed hard, she wished she could explain exactly what was going on inside her head, but she just didn't feel like it would help. She didn't feel like Regina would be willing to listen.

"I am Emma, I'm fucking sick and tired of being defined as 'the saviour' or 'the Dark One', why can't I be both?!"

"Because you just can't," Regina shouted.

"You get to be a hero and the Evil Queen, you complained about everything be so black and white in this town, but you're being a hypocrite right now, Regina."

As she spoke, Emma came towards to her wife, but before she could invade her personal space as she had planned, her steps faltered and she scowled as she watched Regina pull the dagger out from the inside of her coat.

"I gave you that as a precaution, not so you could control me whenever you wanted," the blonde said in a low voice. Regina sighed and allowed her arm to drop, freeing the former savior, though she made no attempt to step any closer.

"We need to stop this," she sighed.

Emma nodded her agreement but continued to stare at the ground.

"I called Archie…" Regina continued.

The blonde's eyebrows shot up and she held up her hands, "No fucking way, Regina."

The brunette winced at her reaction, she had expected it but she had hoped that she might be an adult for once in her life.

"We cannot continue to act this way in front of Tamsin and Henry."

"You know that I don't like…"

Regina held up her hand to cut her off and said, "Nobody likes therapy, Emma, but the fact remains that we need it."

"You can't force me there against my will," Emma said petulantly while crossing her arms.

The mayor huffed and raised the dagger, "Actually I can. I command you to be at Archie's office at precisely midday tomorrow."

Emma rolled her eyes and sat back on the floor, "Well when you put it like that, I'm pretty convinced," she mumbled.

Regina stood awkwardly for a moment, she could hardly deny that she felt bad for what she had just done, but it was necessary if she wanted to get her happy ending back. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Emma cut her off as she said, "I'll be there, now can you please leave me alone?"

The brunette sighed and nodded, purple smoke bellowed around her and she found herself in her bedroom. For a second, she looked at the bed, staring intently at Emma's side. With a huff, she grabbed a pillow and proceeded to go downstairs to place it on the couch.

* * *

Archie eyed the two women on the couch across from him. He wasn't exactly sure why but everyone in town recommended they come to him. He wasn't sure how this was supposed to work but he tried anyway. He didn't actually know what the problem was other than the obvious.

"So, can you tell me why you think you're here?" He asked, slowly observing the way they chose to seat themselves.  
Regina was on one end. Emma was on the other.

Regina had one leg over the other with her hands in her lap pushing herself against the arm of the couch to keep her distance from the other woman. Emma had one leg over the other as well but had one arm across the back of the couch with the other, bent at the elbow and her chin resting on her knuckles. He tilted his head at the observation. It seemed Emma was the one trying to fill the space between them.

"Is it not obvious?" Regina frowned.

"It's better to get things out even if we all know what the problem is. Although in this case I don't actually know what the main problem is," Archie said.

"We're here because she's the Dark One."

"I haven't done anything wrong," Emma replied looking over to the brunette.

"Other than being the Dark One?"

"I was trying to save you, Regina."

"Does that make you angry?" Archie asked Regina. The brunette tightened her jaw and adjusted herself on the couch. Emma turned to her to hear the answer as well. Regina had never actually said that she was angry but after the past few days it was evident that she had to be upset.

"Yes, no one asked you to take in the darkness."

"What did you want me to do? Stand by and just watch it take you?"

"I…I don't know but there could've been another way."

"Not a way that could be accomplished in the three seconds we had. So technically you can't blame me for thinking about saving my wife in the moment, it's not like I have some malicious intention from doing what I did."

"At least being the Dark One gave you a bigger vocabulary," Regina chuckled mockingly.

Emma glared at the woman and then turned to Archie, "I'm not the reason we're here. She is."

"Why do you think so?" Archie asked as he finished writing down his conclusions from their back and forth. They didn't have their usual tension.

"Why? Do you not see her? She's been doing this ever since it happened."

"How dare you?" Regina snapped.

"It's true."

"So what are you saying?" Archie questioned hoping fireballs weren't about to be thrown.

"No…it's not-" Emma sighed. "I don't know…"

"You don't know?" The brunette turned to her wife with an arched eyebrow and an unamused look on her face.

"Well, maybe I think you don't trust me. You commanded me to be here for Christ's sake!"

"Well considering you disappeared with the intention of pushing everyone away instead of asking for help when this first happened, I'd say it was the other way around. I'm your wife, Emma. There is a job that comes with marriage and I had every intention to stick to my word when I promised to help you through anything," Regina said looking at her wife intently.

"I thought it was what was best for our family. I thought that if I didn't put you in danger, if I wasn't tempted to do anything wrong that I could better control it."

"But…?" Archie urged her to continue.

"I didn't have my parents or the kids there to give me hope or you to tell me I was…being stupid."

"Fine. You are and were being stupid and irrational. Is that better?"

Emma narrowed her eyes at her wife, "That's not what I meant, Regina. Are you honestly still mad about that?"

"Oh, is that something I'm just supposed to get over Emma? You abandoned your children."

"I-"

"I sense there's a lot of miscommunication going on here. How long has this been happening?" Archie asked writing on his notepad.

"About two days after she decided to comeback home," Regina answered quickly. She exchanged a look with Emma before turning back Archie.

"Anything significant happen in that time?"

"Family dinner."

"Does that not happen often?"

"It happens every evening. This dinner in particular involved a shouting match between myself and Emma in front of the children."

"And this moment has created the rift we have now?"

"Partly."

"What was it about?"

"She decided to practice dark magic while sitting next to Tamsin…"

"It. Was. A. Fork!"

Archie held up his hand before Regina could retort and tried to move the conversation along, "and what happened after the argument?"

"She abandoned our children once again. "

Emma narrowed her eyes at the brunette and said, "I needed time to think, you know full well that I was coming back."

"Tamsin didn't!"

Emma just rolled her eyes and Regina crossed her arms and huffed.

Archie watched as they each looked away and blinked a couple of times, he didn't know that much about the way they acted in private, but considering that the mansion had yet to be set up in flames of anger, he guessed that they were at least able to communicate better than they were in this moment. After the moment of silence stretched on for thirty seconds, he finally decided to break it with a plan of action:

"Might I suggest gathering a small list of problems you each think needs to be handled and we can discuss during next Thursday's session."

"We will. Right, Emma?"

"Yes, I suppose," the blonde said uncertainly.

"Thank you for seeing us Dr. Hopper," Regina nodded standing up from the couch and grabbing her purse. Emma watched her stride to the door. "Come along, dear. We have errands to run."

"As you wish, your majesty," the blonde said grabbing her coat and following her wife and Archie to the door. Regina left down the hallway and the man stopped Emma just outside the door.

"Emma, if you ever need to see me, just yourself, that'd also be beneficial to working through your problems…as the Dark One."

"Thank you, Archie. I'll consider it," she mustered her best Emma Swan smile before leaving down the hall. She made it down to the first floor in silence and met Regina outside.

"Well that was pointless…I don't need therapy, Madame Mayor."

"At least I'm admitting that we need help. Now are you going to magic yourself away or are you going to endure the silence of sitting in the car?"

"Despite what you may think I still love you. I want to ask you for your help but it's difficult. I just don't want to hurt anybody, you know that."

"I never said I doubted your love for me. As you said yourself, Emma, you need me to tell you when you're being stupid. You're not going to hurt me."

"I think I'll bear the silence with you…If you're making lasagna for dinner."

"Really, Emma? You getting in the car is based upon what I'm cooking for dinner?"

"Is that a problem?"

Regina rolled her eyes affectionately and got in the driver's seat. Emma followed her lead, "You don't have to."

"I know I don't. Even as the Dark One, you still have Emma Swan's appetite."

"That's what you shouldn't have expected to change."

"Trust me, dear, I didn't expect that at all."


	2. Chapter 2

Like always Emma did the dishes but as of late Regina insisted on being the one to get Tamsin ready for bed and Emma never complained, at least not anymore. Every argument she'd started with her wife had resulted in a distraught Tamsin taking forever to calm down. So she washed the dishes without argument and snuck in to kiss her goodnight.

Just as she finished the last of the silverware, the sound of her wife's footsteps coming echoed the room.

"Tamsin's asleep. Henry has another hour; he's working on his history paper."

"It's not last minute, is it?" Emma asked, just to make conversation but she didn't turn around and kept her back to her wife.

"No. It's due next Thursday."

"Well…that's good."

"Emma, thank you," Regina started softly. "For a peaceful night. It's been a long time since we've had a nice dinner."

"Agreed."

"Where are you off to tonight?" Regina asked harshly. She winced at her tone but didn't have time to correct it before Emma finally turned around and looked at her.

"We've gone all day without arguing, let's not start now just because the kids aren't here." Regina tried to interrupt but she just raised her hand to stop her, "I'm not going anywhere tonight but I understand nothing is fixed between us. So I won't make you uncomfortable. I'll sleep on the couch."

"I-"

"I'm really tired Regina," Emma said side stepping her in attempt to leave the kitchen. "We can talk in the morning."

Regina thought to stop her and insist on having the conversation then but the blonde was right in there being no point to start a yelling match now so she let her go. She turned off the light and walk towards the stairs, spotting the blonde disappearing into the bathroom.

Out of curiosity, she waited and after twenty minutes the woman came out dress in pajamas. Something Regina wouldn't admit to anyone was that she was disappointed with the savior's change in clothing. As opposed to Emma's normal mix matched top and bottoms, the Dark One actually wore pajamas that matched. They weren't silk but they were plain and really not her wife's tastes.

"Goodnight, Regina," Emma said in passing on her way to the living room.

The brunette started her walk up the stairs without so much as a glance, "Goodnight."

Emma watched her go wondering if it would've been okay to at least kiss her goodnight. It was always on the cheek or forehead but maybe it wasn't appropriate considering their situation. She shook her head and walked to the living room where suddenly she honestly wished she'd never have to be but she still proceeded to lay down on the couch. She laid on her back, hands clasped together at her waist, not bothering pull the blanket any further than her stomach. Instead of sleeping she laid awake staring at the dark ceiling. She did it every night. The voices got louder at night so there was only time for a few hours of sleep. But that wasn't the excuse she used when she woke up irritable and annoyed.

Hours passed as they usual did, no sleep mercifully taking her. An hour after midnight her ears twitched at the sound of the one creaking board on the fifth step from the bottom of the stairs.

"Henry?" Emma questioned.

"Mommy," Tamsin answered instead appearing the doorway dressed yellow and pink dinosaur pants and shirt, holding a stuffed dog Emma had won for her during the fall festival two years ago.

"Tamsin what are you doing out of bed? You're supposed to be sleeping," Emma said trying to avoid having the little blonde ask why she was sleeping, or not sleeping, down here.

"There was monster," she reasoned adamantly coming over to the couch and climbing up to sit right on her mother's legs. Emma hesitantly sat up on her elbows.

"A monster where?"

"Under my bed."

"Tam, the only monsters under your bed are the little dinosaurs you haven't picked up." The little blonde pouted and folded her arms.

"Why are you sleeping here mommy?" Emma sighed internally at the question.

"Um…momma isn't feeling well so I'm giving her some space."

"But you said hugs and kisses make everything better."

"Sometimes they do Tamsin but not now."

"But you're all alone mommy," her daughter pointed out and Emma gave her sad look because she didn't know how true that statement really was. There was no stopping the darkness sometimes but pulling her family in wasn't something she was willing to do, especially not the little blonde girl sitting in her lap now.

"The couch isn't so bad, monkey."

"The monsters?" Tamsin asked changing the subject on her mother.

Emma sighed knowing that she was supposed to feel like a guest in her own home now. Still she scooped the blonde up and carried her up the stairs.

* * *

Regina opened her eyes at the beam of light shining through her bedroom window and quickly closed them, turning over to press herself into the warm body normally next to hers. When she moved into an empty spot in the bed her eyes snapped open in a panic for the absent blonde until she remembered watching the blonde trudge to the couch the night before. She sighed and got up to get ready for her day.

Stoically walking to the bathroom leaving her wedding ring on the counter next to the sink as she slipped into the shower. Considering all the stress and tiredness running through her body, she pushed the handle all the way to the blue side and stepped in almost immediately after.

Under the cold spray she tried not to think about all the memories she had with Emma in this very bathroom. Several not so appropriate memories but there was one of the most important conversations that happened there. Right in the middle of a cold shower right after she had just recovered from the flu is when Emma burst into the bathroom holding a pregnancy test, giving them Tamsin. Yes, she may have nearly fell in the shower but it was one of the most memorable moments she'd ever have.

Though they were good memories they also served as a reminder that outside her occasional cold showers, her family and her marriage were ripping at the seams. She scrubbed away the thoughts quickly and exited the shower and swiftly dressing to start breakfast downstairs.

She made one mistake, however, not purposely, but still a mistake. Unknowingly, with her mind preoccupied with everything that was going wrong, she forgot her wedding ring on the counter and continued out of her bedroom.

The brunette walked down the stairs and to the living room planning on having a talk with her wife. Honestly, she dreaded having to do it but maybe it was a bit her fault for causing Emma to leave from the last dinner. It took a while but she realized she had just told her wife, who's battling the darkness for her, that she doesn't believe in her. Now that she recognized her error the last thing she wanted was to having Emma thinking that of all things. Although her remorse vanished as she came across the empty room, couch absent of the blonde. Her shoulders tensed and she decided to go wake up the children instead before she could give a thought to the woman who was seemingly only finding solutions in running away.

Marching into her youngest child's room she stopped short at the sight of her wife curled up in the bed most definitely made for a five-year-old with Tamsin held protectively in her arms. She smiled softly at the sight, this not being the first time their daughter had coerced her blonde mother into sleeping in the small bed with her.

_The Dark One holding, a bit tightly, onto your daughter._

The thought sobered her and her smile fell away. Not once in her lifetime would she have the Dark One in close contact with her daughter but the thought that this Dark One was her wife and her friend and the mother of both her children was conflicting. Still the brunette walked over to the bed and gently grabbed the sleeping little blonde from Emma's grasp. Tamsin stirred only slightly but Emma's brow seemed to crease in what looked like pain for a moment. Regina noticed the dark circles around her eyes and sighed.

_She hasn't been sleeping._

_But she's the Dark one…_

Regina shook her head at the thoughts watching Emma shift causing the arm she had wrapped around Tamsin dangle off the edge and her hand opened, a small dinosaur toy slipping from her fingers. Her eyes followed it as it roughly bounced off Henry's storybook laying under Emma's hand. She turned away and walked out of the room with Tamsin asleep on her shoulder and her thumb in her mouth. She knocked on Henry's door and the teenager swung the door open only to have his baby sister thrust into his chest.

"What's happening?" He frowned but took Tamsin anyway. He was nearly done dressing only needing to finish up his button up shirt over his white t-shirt.

"Nothing. Just get your sister some orange juice," Regina said distractedly looking to Tamsin's room. Henry saw the action and his frown deepened.

"Mom, Tamsin is still asleep."

"She'll be awake in minute."

"Ma's in there isn't she?" He questioned.

"Henry-"

"She's still Tamsin's mom too. She wouldn't hurt her."

"I know that Henry."

"Do you really?" he asked but didn't wait for her answer and walked the little blonde down the stairs.

Regina inhaled sharply before walking back to Tamsin's room. She found Emma sitting on the edge of the small bed turning the dinosaur toy over in her hands with the Storybook in her lap. The blonde sat the toy down on the nightstand next to the table lamp.

"What are you doing in here Emma?" She asked her wife, completely forgetting that only a few minutes ago she wanted to apologize for what she said.

"She had come down the stairs really late in the night and I read her a bedtime story. She offered to share her bed with me."

"You're confined to the couch for a reason."

"Because _you_ don't want to sleep near me. She still wants me around."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Regina questioned crossing her arms.

"Nothing, Regina. Just nothing," Emma sighed, putting the book down on the bed as she got up and walked to the door. She passed by the brunette without saying another word except to ask, "Am I still allowed to take a shower in our bathroom?"

"You don't need permission for that."

"Just checking," Emma mumbled walking towards their bedroom. Regina followed her out of the room but turned in the opposite direction, throwing over her shoulder, "Breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes."

Emma walked into the bedroom that now felt almost foreign but she didn't think too much on it. Her main focus being a scolding hot shower to drown out the cold biting at her insides. She took her steps with determination into the bathroom.

Her eyes were focused on the shower handle but a flash of gold in the corner of her eye stopped her in her tracks. She turned slowly to the wedding ring sitting on the marble counter. Her eyes widened sadly and she picked up the ring feeling as if there really was no way for her to win against the darkness.

She'd lose Regina if she had let the darkness take her and she was sure she was now losing her wife by taking the darkness to save her.

* * *

Arthur's head dropped from his hand and the force made him blink his eyes open.

Realizing that he must have been going through this book all night, he snapped it shut and his hand subconsciously fell to the sheathed sword at his side.

Even if no one in Camelot ever found out about the true state of Excalibur, he knew that it would forever weigh on his mind if he were to try and rule his kingdom with the half sword.

As much as Guinevere urged him to forget his 'pointless endeavor' he had made it his life's work to find the missing section known as the dagger of the Dark One. All he had accomplished so far was finding the ritual he would need to be able to make the sword whole.

It seemed simple enough and if what he knew about the nature of the darkness were true, he couldn't imagine that it would be too difficult to convince them to do it. The heart of the True Love of the one bound by the dagger and a symbol of that True Love was all he would need and they would no longer be tethered to the weapon.

The only problem he was facing was the fact that he had no idea who or where the Dark One was.

He had heard reports of Rumpelstiltskin terrorizing Mist Haven, but that was long before his time. He had no way of knowing if he still held the mantle of Dark One, and even if he did, the Evil Queen's curse was common knowledge across many continents. He knew that the dagger was no longer in this realm and it was more than frustrating to think that there may be no way to find it.

He stood from his chair and decided that some breakfast couldn't hurt, it wasn't like he was any closer to finding the information than he was eight hours ago.

The king was halfway down the corridor when he heard the distinctive sound of someone running in armor, "Your majesty," the guard called.

Arthur groaned audibly, mostly because he felt as though his exhaustion would begin invading his senses at any moment, but he turned around nonetheless and looked at the man expectantly, "What is it?"

"We have news from the Enchanted Forest, your majesty," he bowed.

"That's impossible," he sighed, "I traveled to Mist Haven, there was not a soul there."

"Forgive my presumptions, My King, but I don't believe that you traveled the entirety of the land. There was a cluster of people who remained there after the Dark Curse."

"Was?" Arthur sighed.

"It would appear that the curse was broken and re-cast, your majesty, but there was one who chose not to remain in this new land known as Storybrooke…"

The brunette nodded slowly, allowing his tired mind to register what this meant, before his eyes widened and he asked, "Who?"

"Her name is Ruby Lucas, as a lycanthrope, she was unable to resist attacking a member of the royal guard during Wolfstime…"

Arthur nodded slowly before he furrowed his brow, "She just offered this information?"

"The captain suggested the use of a truth serum, My Liege, for the next hour she will not be able to answer any question untruthfully…"

Without need for further discussion, Arthur turned on his heels and walked off in the direction of the interrogation chamber. The moment he burst into the room, the brunette bound to the chair instantly growled at him, he just ignored this and turned to the man sat across of her, "I can handle this captain."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the man replied with a slight bow and he dutifully left the king and wolf alone.

"I won't tell you anything," the former waitress announced as the man fell into the chair in front of her.

"I think you mean that you don't want to tell me anything, but I'm afraid that you have no choice. Now tell me how I can travel to the land of Storybrooke."

* * *

Emma took a deep breath and attempted to make her feet move, she had an appointment to keep, but there was something stopping her from just going to Archie's office.

Usually, she refused to acknowledge what was stopping her from facing her feelings, but in this moment, she knew exactly what was standing in her way. Or more specifically, who was stopping her.

A high pitched giggle sounded throughout the clearing of the forest and she scowled deeply at the spirit of the former Dark One, "are you really this against me going to therapy?"

"Your will is your own, dearie," Rumpelstiltskin shot back, "but then again, I am a part of you, so I suppose the only thing stopping you is you."

Emma began pacing back and forth, refusing to look at the insufferable imp whom she had spent far too much time with, and her hand subconsciously came to rest upon the ring hanging on a chain around her neck.

"Does it bother you that she refuses to wear the symbol of your love?" Rumple continued, knowing the blonde had no choice but to listen to him. "Is there really any point of making the effort to see a therapist when it would seem that your wife has already given up on your marriage? She won't even allow you to spend unsupervised time with your own children, you should give up on a facade that you both know is not working."

Emma's feet stopped and she quickly spun to face him with narrowed eyes, "My marriage is not a facade!"

"It certainly isn't one that Regina is interested in maintaining," he giggled.

Before she could even think about what she was doing, a fireball ignited in the blonde's hand and she threw it directly at the bane of her life. However, as soon as the flaming inferno came near the spirit, he disappeared and reappeared a few inches to the life. Emma took calming breaths as she stared at the burning tree, and after a few moments, she waved her hand to put out the flames.

"Will you please just leave me alone?" she asked rather pathetically, "I have already refused to embrace the darkness, what's the point of continuing to harass me?"

"I don't think you quite comprehend, dearie, that you and I have an eternity together. If rejection from your family isn't enough to turn you away from the light, how many years after Regina, Henry and Tamsin's deaths will you continue to fight against me?"

"I will fight you for as long as it takes for you to leave me alone!" she shouted.

The imp just tilted his head and smirked, "I am a part of you, Emma, I wonder how many years of fighting your own mind it will take to send you spiraling into insanity. You will soon realize that all of this was pointless. You will outlive every single person in this town and they will just be a footnote in the story of your life. Do you honestly believe that three centuries from now, you are still going to love Regina? That in all that time you won't find someone better than her? Someone who doesn't make you sleep on the couch after you made the ultimate sacrifice for them…"

Emma's fist clenched around the ring and she just closed her eyes and began to employ the trick she had discovered on one particularly lonely day after taking in the darkness. She imagined her wedding day, smiling broadly as Regina said her vows. Then she imagined the day Tamsin was born, how utterly exhausted and incredibly happy she had been at the same time. She allowed happy memories to flood her mind, and finally opened her eyes to find that the spirit was gone. Letting out a sigh of relief, her smile quickly fell as the metal clasped in her hands reminded her why she had come out to this clearing in the woods in the first place.

Images of Regina actively deciding not to put on her wedding ring flooded her mind and she let out a deep sigh as she turned around.

"Leave me alone," she whispered.

"Your little trick doesn't work anymore," Rumple giggled, "It would appear that returning to your family has tarnished every memory you've ever had of them."

"It's not their fault…"

"Then whose fault is it?" he shot back.

"Mine…I'm the Dark One…" Emma sighed, as she allowed tears to fall down her cheeks.

"You only became the Dark One to protect the woman you love, now that it would appear that she no longer loves you, you should just forget about her. Forget about being the savior and embrace who you are now," Rumple replied triumphantly.

Emma looked down at the ground and desperately tried not to agree with his words, but he was a part of her after all, she could hardly deny her own thoughts forever. Even if he was starting to convince her, that didn't mean that she had to outwardly agree with him. Swallowing hard, she refused to acknowledge his presence as she continued pacing.

But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't convince herself to go to therapy.

* * *

"Regina?" Archie said in confusion as he opened the door expecting someone else.

"Yes. Are expecting someone else?"

"Well, yes actually, Emma booked the appointment before your session."

"Really?" Regina asked sounding uninterested as Archie let her inside and she took a seat.

"Yes, I believe that the weight of the darkness on her soul is not something she should be repressing," he explained taking a seat, "The two of you need to work out your issues individually before you can begin to heal together."

"I believe you may be right, though I also believe that her absence speaks volumes," Regina said more to herself then to the therapist..

"What is it that you've come here today for Regina?" he asked catching her comment.

"Emma. Obviously."

"Okay then. What seems to be the problem?" Regina leveled him with glare and he quickly added, "Other than her being the Dark One, of course."

"I don't think that I quite know myself," Regina said.

"Has anything happened recently? Another dreadful dinner?"

"No. Dinner was fine. There wasn't much talking but I assume that's better than an argument. This morning was the issue."

"What is that issue?"

"I found Emma sleeping in Tamsin's bed," she responded as if the problem were obvious.

"Is she not supposed to do that?" Archie said frowning. This was really a new thing he'd never heard before. Usually as a therapist he spotted the problem before his patients now didn't seem to be the case, then again, a standard PhD didn't typically involve knowledge of ancient dark magic.

"Emma and I both agreed it would be best if we slept in separate rooms. Emma offered to sleep on the couch."

"Are saying that because there's a rift coming between you and your wife, Emma and your children aren't allowed to interact? Has she done anything to harm Henry or Tamsin?"

The questions he asked threw Regina for a loop. She blinked in shock almost as if she wasn't aware of how she got there. Realization dawned on both her and Archie was forming a theory that he believed may have been one of the main problems to their relationship.

"Are you alright, Regina?" Archie questioned as the woman paled slightly.

She nodded uncertainly but dismissed it immediately, "She hesitated."

"What was that?"

"I asked her if she had to choose between her power and Tamsin and she hesitated. Had it been an actual situation my daughter would've been thrown away for power."

"The darkness of the Dark One is quite a burden to carry. Are you sure she hesitated because she had to think about it or because she was fighting the darkness telling her to do the opposite of what her heart wanted?"

"Hesitation is a dangerous thing to forgive in the Dark One," Regina said grimly.

"Regina, are you having…" he cleared his throat, "A problem separating your wife from the Dark One?"

"I…" Regina seemed to pause on that. Her brain had been throwing all kinds of thoughts about Emma at her.

The moment she found Tamsin and Emma in that tiny little bed she recognized her Emma. The one she fell in love with and married. She had no problem letting the Dark One suffer but her wife was suffering along with it and her mind was still associating such a title with the imp.

"I…no I'm not. I know Emma."

"Regina-"

"Dr. Hopper I've known the Dark One for a very long time," Regina said harshly grabbing her purse and standing to leave. "I can assure you I can tell the difference between Emma and the Dark One just fine. And Emma is making the choice to run away and abandon her children. I know the difference."

With that she closed the door behind her. Archie looked after her with his brow furrowed, exchanging a small look with a quiet Pongo.

"I believe I'm not qualified for this one. I'm not sure what marriage I'm supposed to be fixing," he said to himself looking down at the only note he had written in the severely short session.

_Wedding Ring?_


	3. Chapter 3

Ruby felt nauseous. It had been a very long day and she wasn't convinced that her troubles would be ending any time soon. First there was the fact that she had spent far too much time wondering Camelot looking for something that would make her happy, when she already knew what, or more specifically, who that thing was. Then there was being so frustrated just before wolfstime, that she was unable to stop herself from biting one of Arthur's royal guards.

What followed was being subdued and then fed truth serum, which meant she was unable to stop herself from admitting everything. Which brought her back to the reason that she was so nauseous.

She had been forced to tell Arthur about how she had left Storybrooke using one of the magical beans and he had secured one of them from Merlin's stores. The Camelot version seemed to be slightly different to those used in the Enchanted Forest, in that one had to be able to visualise the place that they wanted to go to. Which was the reason that the wolf had been taken, very much against her will, so that King Arthur could get to her former home.

She had tried to stop herself from thinking about Storybrooke, she tried to take him to the Enchanted Forest just to protect all of the people in the town she loved. But thinking about the people she wished to protect, brought an image of the number one person she wanted to protect. The brunette with whom it had become far too painful to spend any prolonged periods of time with. Unrequited love was certainly a painful thing, but she found having such feelings towards one of her best friends was utterly soul-destroying.

Belle had been the reason that she believed she had nothing left for her in Storybrooke. Every time she saw the beautiful, intelligent librarian go back to the Dark One, the urge to admit her feelings had become stronger and stronger, but she just couldn't do it. For all of his bad qualities, Rumpelstiltskin seemed to make Belle happy.

"On your feet, wolf," a gruff voice announced, bringing Ruby out of her thoughts, though it didn't distract her from her urge to vomit. "You said that Storybrooke was a town," Arthur growled, while he inspected the trees surrounding them suspiciously.

The brunette scowled deeply at the man, who seemed to be more than over dressed for a quaint little town in Maine considering his full armor, but she rose to her feet nonetheless. Usually she would have done anything but obey his commands, but he had used the truth serum as an opportunity to find a way to blackmail her. He had promised to tear Belle limb from limb if she didn't do exactly as she was told and attacking wasn't an option since he had more than a couple silver throwing knives in his possession.

"This is the forest that surrounds Storybrooke," she spat as she rose to her feet, desperately wishing that the nausea would fade.

Arthur narrowed his eyes at her, before he decided that she was showing no signs of lying, "And where do I find the Dark One?"

"You can't just walk into town and demand that Rumpelstiltskin does exactly what you want him to, it just doesn't work like that."

The male brunette let out a huff, but he tried to remind himself just how long he had waited for the dagger, he could certainly wait a few more hours if it would guarantee that his endeavor wouldn't end in a very painful death.

"Then you will get the dagger for me," he growled.

"And how do you imagine that I will be able to achieve that?" Ruby spat, "Even if I wanted to help you, there would be no way that I would be able to trick the Dark One."

Arthur smirked and stepped into her personal space, "I'm sure that you can find a way or you better hope that you can," he leaned in closer, allowing a satisfied smile to take over his features when he saw how tense he made her, "For Belle's sake."

"You don't think that I could just warn someone of your plan?"

The king tilted his head as he placed his hand into his pocket and brought out a small phial and he nodded, "I suppose you're right, I cannot trust you to carry out your orders without a little more…incentive, shall we say."

As he talked, he popped the phial open, and poured a small amount of the dust within into his palm.

Without warning, the man reached forward and his hand disappeared into the former waitress's chest, a moment later, he pulled out the glowing red heart with a maniacal grin on his face.

Ruby let out a deep breath and brought her hand up to rest on her chest, swallowing hard, she realized that there was no beat underneath her fingers.

"What…what the hell?" she just about managed to get out.

"I learnt a thing or two during my time scouring Merlin's possessions, anyone can perform basic magic if they are in the possession pixie dust."

"You bas…"

Ruby inhaled sharply and she tried to ignore the pain while her eyes fixated on the man's fingers clenching around her heart.

"Now, now, there's no need for name calling," he tutted and stepped back from her personal space.

The wolf tried to withstand the pain, but it was all-consuming, and the worst thing was that she knew he wasn't squeezing as hard as he could.

"Please…" she said rather pathetically, already hating herself for pleading with this despicable man.

"No need to beg," he chuckled, "just do as you're told and I won't be forced to crush your heart. Now go and get me the information that I need."

* * *

"You're blocking the TV," Emma grumbled with crossed arms.

"Don't you believe that one of the most powerful magic users of all time shouldn't be spending their life watching Friends for the hundredth time?" Rumple sighed.

The blonde just shrugged petulantly and shifted to the side so that she could see past him, but he just moved in the same direction and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ross and Rachel are about to kiss," she pointed out.

The spirit waved his hand the TV turned off, Emma rolled her eyes and allowed her own hand that he had controlled, to fall back to her side.

"You said yourself that I'm immortal now, surely I have time to watch whatever I want to."

"You can watch whatever you want when you are truly free," he shot back.

The Dark One just shook her head and blew out a breath, "I'm not interested in some ridiculous plan that we all know the 'heroes' are going to stop. Honestly, I would have thought that after so long, the spirit of every Dark One would have realized that they should just give up. Villains don't win."

"But you're not a villain are you, oh great and powerful savior?" he sneered.

"According to Regina, I'm not the savior anymore, I'm just the evil Dark One who can't even hug her own fucking daughter," she huffed, refusing to look at the spirit as tears began to sting at the corners of her eyes.

"How is it fair that you sacrifice yourself, as any hero would have done, and suddenly have to be the villain? Do you honestly believe that after everything you have done for these town, for the people who caused your miserable childhood, that you should have to resign yourself to the same standard as the people who you have spent the last three years fighting against? Do you believe that you deserve the same fate as Cruella, Zelena or Cora? Have you done a single thing that could even be considered evil?"

Emma just shook her head, she refused to have this discussion again, because she had been thinking about it since she and Regina had started having issues. She could understand that Regina was pissed that she had disappeared for so long, but when she had first come back, it seemed like everything would go back to normal. She was soon proven wrong. Regina seemed to be the only person who saw anything different about her, sure, she looked physically different and that had taken a few people aback. Her parents in particular had been shocked when they had first seen the Dark One version of their daughter, but they had soon seen that she was just the same person and had started treating her as they always had.

"Well if you had it your way, I would be exactly the person that she thinks I am," Emma spat back finally looking up at him with nothing but contempt in her eyes.

"Well, if you're already being accused of something you haven't done, then why not do it anyway? You're already being punished, so wouldn't you want to have the satisfaction that comes with being well and truly free?"

"Because I would rather prove Regina wrong then have her think that she was right all along, unlike you, I actually care about my marriage!"

The spirit tilted his head and smirked slightly as he replied, "Do you realize that I am not actually Rumpelstiltskin?"

The blonde let out a little growl of frustration and fell back against the couch, "you are somehow more annoying than he ever was."

"If you want rid of me, then you simply need to break your connection to that dagger…"

"You mean, if I free myself from the dagger, then you're free to completely take over me?" she sighed.

"You can look at it that way, but you need to understand, dearie, that we are not separate. I am a part of you, a more powerful part. Is it really wrong to want your best self to be in control?"

"You are not my best self," Emma sighed, she couldn't see why she continued to agree with him, it seemed that he had endless retorts, but when he was literally stopping her from doing anything else, she figured she could at least try.

"The Dark One is more powerful, immortal and not compromised by the weakness of love," he shot back.

"Every single Dark One has been compromised by love," the blonde shot back, before her eyes widened when she realized that she had used his word. "I meant…"

The spirit held up his hand and just shook his head with a gratified smile on his face, "You can't lie to me, dear, we both know that you're coming over to the better way of thinking."

"It was a slip of the tongue and it meant nothing!" Emma growled, standing from the couch with both of her fists clenched.

Rumple just carried on smirking at her and she got the urge to punch him before she remembered that she would probably just end up hitting the TV. Just as she as she was about to come up with another way to put him in his place, she suddenly recognized the presence of someone behind her. She turned around and saw a brunette with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed across her chest.

"Regina…"

Said woman just narrowed her eyes further and asked, "Who were you talking to, Emma?"

"Uh…" the blonde looked over her shoulder at the spirit of the former Dark One and she knew instantly that she would just need to tell the truth so that this didn't devolve. But then, she realized that if Regina knew that she had been spending her time talking with Rumpelstiltskin, then there was no way that she would ever believe and the Dark One that she had known in the Enchanted Forest and Emma Swan-Mills were not the same person.

"Myself," she finally said.

"Why are you lying to me?" Regina sighed, her arms falling to her side.

"I'm not lying to you," Emma replied, technically it wasn't a complete lie, since, as he often reminded her, he was a part of her.

"Yes you are. You didn't show up for your therapy session…"

"So much for doctor-patient confidentiality," the blonde huffed.

"Laws hardly apply in Storybrooke."

"Don't you think that is something you should change, Madam Mayor," Emma replied.

Regina just rolled her eyes and said, "Stop changing the subject! You didn't go to therapy as you said you would and now I find you 'talking to yourself', it doesn't inspire much confidence, Miss…"

The blonde's eyebrows shot up in surprise and looked at the woman who was biting her lip, looking desperately like she wanted to take her final word back.

"Miss Swan?" Emma laughed in disbelief, "Miss fucking Swan, Regina?"

"It was a slip of the tongue Emma and it's not important right now…"

"Oh, of course it's not important, because only the things that you imagine that I did wrong matter. It doesn't matter that you just basically forgot that we're married," the blonde shouted, completely unable to hold back her anger, the ring around her neck feeling significantly heavier than it had a moment ago. She considered pointing out the fact that she had it, but then, she didn't want to hear Regina tell her that it wasn't important.

"I did not forget that we are married," Regina sighed heavily, "Mrs. Swan-Mills, are you happy now?"

"No, I am not happy, Regina, I haven't been happy for a while and it's all your fault!"

"My fault?" the brunette asked in disbelief, "How is this my fault?"

"There is a reason that the darkness attacked you, but as always you had your little pet savior to stop it."

Silence fell between them and even when her mind caught up with what she had said, she found that she couldn't regret it. They each narrowed their eyes and finally Regina turned on her heels and said, "This argument is over, but feel free to go back to arguing with yourself."

With that, the brunette made her way to her study, not even bothering to look over her shoulder as silent tears fell down her cheeks. Emma stared at the woman until she turned a corner and then spun on her heels to look at the insufferable imp who had been watching the entire scene unfold.

"Well that went well," he smirked.

"Shut up," the blonde snapped and stormed out of the mansion. Her mind had no idea where she was going, but her feet seemed to know that she needed to talk to someone who would actually listen.

* * *

Belle ran her hand over the grass and stared at the tombstone.

It had been months, but she knew that she should still be sadder about the fact that her husband had died. At first, she had spent all of her time next to his comatose body, but that was mostly because she knew that he had no one else, especially since most people in the town were so focused on Emma.

However, she knew that it had taken centuries to darken his heart, it was well and truly his time.

For all of his good qualities, he had always been a beast, no matter how well he had hidden it. When she had sent him over the town line, she had convinced herself that she could move on from him, but she realized that the person she wished to help her move on was no longer in town. Long before, Snow had told her that Ruby had left town in search of somewhere she belonged and that it was very unlikely that she would be able to ever return to Storybrooke. That night, the librarian had found herself crying over the best friend that she'd finally had the opportunity to miss, instead of mourning the fact that she would almost certainly never see her husband again.

Now, she sat at the grave of the man and she didn't know exactly she should feel about the fact that he was truly gone.

For a while she was sure that there was no way he could actually be dead considering the number of times he had somehow managed to evade his fate. But this time, there was a Dark One to take his place. Without the darkness, his body just was incapable of sustaining life, and a few days after what most people in town referred to as 'the incident', he flat lined. There weren't many people at his funeral, but everyone in town still found it in themselves to be respectful. They had allowed her to bury him among the others in the graveyard even though she was sure that were many who would have much preferred that he wasn't.

Overall, she was just confused as to how she should feel about the death of the man whom she had been mourning long before she had sent him over the town line. She had always had a sneaking suspicion that he was planning something and finding that gauntlet just proved that he was completely incapable of being the man that she wanted him to be, no matter how hard he tried. Now that she'd seen Emma only just about managing to control the sheer amount of dark energy, she knew that she could no longer blame him. Emma Swan was the product of True Love and the savior, if she was just about able to control it, then there was no way that Rumpelstiltskin, a peasant who had been too afraid to fight in the Ogre Wars didn't stand a chance.

"Are you okay?" someone asked from behind.

Belle furrowed her brow at the voice, she told herself that there was no way that it could be the person she wanted it to be. Her mind must have been playing tricks on her because there was no way that the woman she had been wishing was there with her all this time to help her deal with her plethora of emotions could suddenly have shown up.

For a moment, she refused to turn her head simply because she was convinced that living with the knowledge that it was possible than having to deal with the hopelessness she would feel if she was proven wrong.

"Belle?"

The brunette took in a deep breath and finally turned her head, for a second, she allowed her eyes to simply scan the other brunette, before she hopped to her feet and all but threw herself into Ruby's arms. The wolf blinked a couple of times, but it wasn't long before she brought her arms around the librarian and pulled her as close as she could. They stayed like this for far longer than could possibly be considered normal, but eventually, the shorter of the two women pulled away and offered the former waitress a watery smile.

Ruby was about to drop her arms to her side, but she thought better of it when she noticed how comfortable the other woman was, and they simply reveled in the fact that they were so near each other again.

Finally, the taller brunette let out a nervous laugh and said, "Hey."

Belle laughed and smiled broadly, "Hey…how are you here?"

The wolf swallowed hard, she was desperate to tell the truth, if she could just do that, it wouldn't take long to have Regina go and fireball Arthur's ass. But as it was, she could feel the king was holding her heart right at that moment. She knew that he could see what exactly was going on, and if she tried to say anything out of line, he would simply just control her words. She had waited so long to see the woman she loved again and she wasn't going to have some psychotic king completely ruin the moment.

She glanced over the librarian's shoulder and allowed her eyes to run over the name on the tombstone that she had been sitting before. She did this a couple of times and finally forced her arms to drop to her side as she took a small step back.

"You never answered my question…someone at the diner told me that you would probably be here…"

Belle smiled sadly as she was abruptly remembered where they were, as much as she wanted to grab the woman and kiss her passionately, she very much didn't want to do it in the graveyard in front of her late husband's grave.

"I…I'm not sure…" Belle admitted, this was not something she had yet admitted to anyone else, mostly because she wasn't sure that there was anyone else who could find it within themselves to empathize with her.

Ruby nodded, she wanted to say something comforting, but she could practically hear Arthur commanding her to get the information he wanted.

"So…Grumpy told me that you would be here, but he didn't tell me what happened…"

The other brunette frowned, she was sure that wouldn't be something the other woman would be interested in, at least not immediately.

"Er…" she began, considering whether she should question this, but it had been a long time, it made sense that Ruby would be curious about what happened. Plus, she should probably be warned about one of her close friend's new title, "We tried to save Rumple by sending the darkness away. But it got out and…attacked Regina…"

Ruby's mouth fell open as she considered the implications of this, finally she came to the conclusion that anyone in town would have assumed, "Are you saying that Emma's the Dark One?"

Belle smiled sadly and nodded, "Is she that predictable?"

The wolf nodded and swallowed hard, it was one thing to help Arthur with whatever he had planned to do to Rumpelstiltskin, but Emma Swan was her friend. She was her best friend's daughter, a mother to two children and she had a wife who was more than capable of crushing her heart if the king didn't when this was all over.

"She hasn't done anything evil though," Belle continued, not noticing the internal battle the other woman was facing. "As morbid as it is, it is romantic how the two of them would literally do anything for each other. But I'm sure they would both prefer it if they could just be a normal couple for at least a little while…"

Ruby nodded her agreement, she could feel that the librarian was desperate to ask her some more questions about where she was and why she was here now, but there was someone currently held her heart was far more eager to get his answers.

"So if Emma hasn't done anything, does that mean she was allowed to keep the dagger?"

Belle tilted her head and inspected Ruby for a second, "Why does that matter?"

"Just…curious…"

"I think she gave to Regina 'just in case', but why would you be curious about that Ruby?" she pressed.

"It's really not important," Ruby snapped, though they were not her words, she knew that Arthur was desperate to have her return to him so that he could find about more about Regina and how he would go about getting the dagger from her.

Belle's mouth fell and she blinked a couple of times, she wondered whether the wolf had changed during her time away from Storybrooke, but there was a part of her that knew that the woman she loved could never have changed, no matter how long she had been gone.

They stared at each other for a second, but the wolf felt a pain shoot through her chest and it took all of her will power to obey the command to not show she was in pain.

"I really have to go," she announced.

The shorter woman furrowed her brow, she was sure there was no way that conversation could possibly over, after so long, all she wanted to do was go home and talk with the woman for as long as it took to get out everything she had been forced to repress. She was sure that the talk would end in one of them asking the other on a date, not that she had ever thought about how their reunion would happen every time she had felt alone.

"Ruby…" she began.

"I'll come by and see you later," Ruby tried to reassure.

The librarian was about to protest, but the other woman had already began walking away.

She considered following her, but she soon realised that she must have used her wolfish speed, because when she looked up, the brunette was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

After nearly two weeks without seeing his daughter, David jumped out of his chair at the sight of her walking in. It was still strange that she didn't wear her usual clothes but it didn't stop the smile from coming over his face.

"I wasn't expecting you back until tomorrow," he said beaming until he noticed the somber expression on her face.

"I needed something to get my mind off things," Emma said walking into her office. David followed her, coming up with the wrong thing in his mind from the list of things that could possibly be wrong with his daughter.

"Don't worry, Emma. Your mother and I are still looking for a way to remove you from the darkness. We won't give up."

"Why have you trusted me with Neal?" she asked randomly. David frowned at the question and shook his head but answered anyway. Emma looked up at him intensely searching his eyes for any ounce of a lie.

"Because, he's your little brother we know you won't hurt him."

Nothing pinged.

"What's wrong Emma?" he asked in concern.

"There's just a lot on my mind."

"Well…" he started sitting down across from her. "Do you want to talk about it? I know I don't have a clue as to what it's like to be the Dark One but I'll do anything I can to help."

"It's not…I want to say it's not a Dark One problem but, it is and it isn't."

"I'm not understanding…"

"I'm marriage problems."

"That I can help with," he grinned lightly and continued, "I can imagine it's been hard on you and Regina."

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong." Her father frowned and she added, "She just doesn't look at me the same anymore. Like I've done something wrong but I can't figure out what it is. Has that ever happened to you?"

"More often than you think. That's pretty common in relationships."

"Then what is it? I haven't come up with some plot to take over the world, I haven't tried to take back the dagger…I haven't hurt anybody. I don't understand."

"Well, didn't she have to force you to go to see Archie?"

"Yes, but I don't see how that's such a big deal," Emma mumbled looking down at her hands. "No one goes willingly to therapy. She didn't."

"Even that small thing could be your problem Emma but is there anything else?"

"She doesn't trust me anymore. I'm the Dark One and now suddenly, I'm not Emma to her anymore. I'm trying to fight the darkness in my head and everything I've done, even leave for a few days…a few hours, I've done it to protect my family."

"Emma, Regina trusts you and as much as I'd been skeptically of it when you two first got together, she does very much love you."

Emma didn't respond for several moments. She wanted to believe that was right but so many things easily led her to believe Regina didn't think of her as the same person she knew only a few months ago. That meant she didn't trust her the same, if at all, anymore. And suddenly it was beginning to feel like that love wasn't as it was anymore. Her wife had said her name as if she was talking about someone else, maybe all that love had vanished.

The blonde's face fell, "Me and Regina have always been at each other throats since the day when met and that's never change even the day we fell in love. We argued the other night…she used the dagger on me when I tried to get close to her. Hell, I wanted to kiss her even though she made me mad but she didn't trust me."

She stood up from her desk and turned to the file cabinet next to her desk. On top sat a picture of them on their honeymoon. She lost her subject, "The happiest day of my life was when Regina proposed. I honestly thought I would have to be the idiot to ask her if that's what she wanted before I did it. But that day is in competition with the day I got pregnant. Tamsin and Henry will be all I have, if…Regina regrets that day."

"Emma…She wouldn't."

"She won't let me near Tamsin. I fell asleep in her bed trying to get her back to sleep and the next morning Regina took her while I was still sleeping…"

"I… I can't defend any of that but when people are scared they do stupid things. Your mother and I included…your wife included."

"Am I really such a monster? Tamsin isn't scared of me but she will be. I don't know how long until the darkness takes over."

David walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, gently turning her around. His heart broke for his daughter seeing the tears threatening to roll down her cheeks.

"I can't figure out why she's pushing me away," Emma whispered.

Her father pulled her into a hug, one she didn't pull away from. She rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped a strong arm around her back and put a comforting hand to her head. Emma blinked back a few tears and looked ahead of her terrified she was started to acknowledge him again. She let out a chilling breath staring directly at the very real hallucination of Rumpelstiltskin leaning against her father's desk giggle, cackling at her hope.

"We won't let that happen, Emma," David said softly.


	4. Chapter 4

"Henry?" Tamsin called standing at her brother's door. He turned around from his desk and smiled at her.

"You never announce when you sneak into the Batcave." Tamsin giggled at him and walked over to his desk and climbed into his lap, reaching over to his desk to look at what he was working on. He grinned at her awed look over his drawings.

For a while his fascination with comics and writing were only a hobby but now with his parents falling apart, it was his only escape from their yelling. And showing them to Tamsin and telling her the stories he made for them was the only distraction he knew of for his little sister so far but he had a sinking feeling the five-year-old had found her own way to tune out their mothers' arguing. Not that they've even seen their blonde mother recently.

"I like this one," the blonde said pointing to the one right on top. He picked it up and looked at it, sighing to himself. Of course she like the one inspired by the people he'd rather she not have to think too much about. It was going to be an anniversary gift for his parents. He was fortunate enough to have a family full of comic book readers and therefore his gift ideas came to him effortlessly. He was going to test out his new found skill with this.

"Story?" Tamsin asked with expectant eyes.

Henry shifted uncomfortably in the chair and sat it off to the side and picked up another one, "How about this one?"

"But I like that one," his sister argued with a small frown.

"Tam, I don't really have a story for that one yet," Henry lied. He instantly felt guilty for it as she nodded in understanding and tried find interest in the one he picked up. He'd given both his mothers a really hard time about them telling him the truth and not using the 'it's complicated' excuse with him and now he was lying to his little sister. He figured she wasn't going to understand if he did tell her that he didn't want to tell her the story for that one because they were about their parents who weren't anything like the characters he'd written for them anymore.

Suddenly he didn't feel telling her a story, instead he grabbed another stack of drawings he'd done and wasn't very satisfied with, "Tell you what, why don't we sit on my bed and color?"

"Can I color lots?" she questioned with a smile.

"Lots and lots," the teen nodded. He stood up from his desk and walked over to his messy bed and smoothed out the sheets before dropping her down on them and sitting the drawings on the bed. She went about picking her first one as he grabbed clipboards for both of them and a pack of color pencils and crayons. The brunette sat down in front of her with the item spread out in front of them and crossed his legs.

"Whatever you color can go on my wall," he said and Tamsin's face lit up as she looked over to the picture on the left wall across from them.

"Are you gonna color?" she asked.

"Sure. What colors am I using?"

"Blue and red," she said handing her brother the color pencils. He chuckled and pulled out the colors and grabbed a page to start coloring.

They sat in silence, coloring together and Henry glanced over to his little sister's page. She had chosen yellow and pink on his attempt at recreating a futurist version of batman. He looked down at his own, blue and red neatly inside the lines. Tamsin's was far outside the lines and not fully colored in some place. He found himself preferring hers more than his own.

"Henry?"

"Yeah, Tam."

"Where's mommy?" she asked quietly, looking up from her coloring. Henry inwardly sighed, hoping to have avoided the questioning about their family's worsening relationship.

"I…I don't know," he answered honestly.

"Is she going to come back?"

"Yeah, she is. She's just not feeling well right now."

"She's 'posed to stay here and have potato soup."

"Tomato." He chuckled lightly, "She'll come back for soup real soon, I promise."

"Mommy gave me chocolate," the blonde crawled over and sat in his lap, sitting sideways so that her ear was pressed to his chest. He watched her rub at her eyes and he put an arm around her knowing she was about cry. Honestly, he was feeling the stinging too.

"I know," he responded sadly.

"And she read me more stories."

"I know…" Henry closed his eyes at the tear rolling down his face as he tensed his jaw, trying to fight off a crying fit along with his sister.

"I miss mommy," Tamsin sniffed, her body beginning to tremble with silent cries.

"I know. I do too."

He sensed a presence and glanced over the little blonde's head to see his brunette mother standing in the doorway. Her eyes searched his face sadly and then looked down to Tamsin. Henry met his mother's eyes, resting his chin on Tamsin's head as she clung to him and then turned away from her.

"Tamsin, why don't you sign your picture for her. You can give it to her when she comes back." The blonde shook her head. "It'll make her feel better. Go on Tam, write your name."

He held out a purple color pencil to her, encouraging her to take it. Dejectedly, she took it and leaned down over her picture and wrote her name in big shaky, slanted letters on the bottom carefully. She pushed herself back into him again and held on tightly to his shirt, getting sleepy quickly. The teen wrapped his arms around her, losing the appetite for the dinner his mother had come to tell them was ready.

The older woman watched them for a moment before turning on her heel, knowing tonight she more than likely was going to be eating dinner alone.

* * *

"I don't understand why you couldn't stay with you parents, Swan…" Hook said over his shoulder while he pulled two beers out of his fridge. The pirate made quick work of twisting the tops off and walking over to the blonde sat on his couch.

Emma took the beverage with a grateful smile before she began staring at it intently so that she could avoid eye contact with her friend while she explained, "mom and dad seem pretty well adjusted to…the new me, but I just can't handle the look that Neal always gives me. I don't think they've actually explained anything to him and he just always seems really wary of me…"

"Neal is just a child who isn't used to change, it didn't take long for Tamsin to start trusting you when you came back, I'm sure that your brother would be the same if you gave him a chance…" Hook replied, trying to sound as supportive as possible. No matter how many years it had been since he was widely considered a villain, he still wasn't one hundred percent comfortable dealing with emotions, but at least he was trying, so far it only seemed to work with his girlfriend, Tinkerbell, and his ex-girlfriend turned best friend, Emma.

"I'm also sure that it won't be long until Regina convinces her that I'm the evilest thing in the world," the blonde said after down almost half the bottle at once.

Hook blew out a breath and said, "Regina has had many dealings with the Dark One in the past, you can't exactly blame her…"

Emma's mouth fell open and she looked accusingly at her friend, "you are seriously taking her side?"

"There are no sides, Swan," the man blew out a breath and fell back against the couch, "we are all adults here, and perhaps you should be with your wife rather than your ex-boyfriend."

"We dated for like a week and a half and kissed maybe three times, that was hardly a relationship, Killian."

Rolling his eyes, Hook replied, "that is not the point I was trying to make…you do know that spending all of your time here isn't going to do your relationship any favors, particularly with your children."

"Well, Regina freaks the fuck out when I spend time with them, so I don't know what I'm supposed to do other than wallow. Which is something I have to do here since my parents would probably spend all of their time giving me hope speeches."

Hook cocked an eyebrow and watched as she downed the rest of the beer only to hold out her hand. He looked down at his own drink and just realized that he hadn't even taken a sip and just blew out a breath as he handed it to her.

"Is wallowing necessary?" he sighed.

Emma looked up from her beer, with tears stinging at her eyes as she replied, "for the past two days I've had Regina's wedding ring for two days and she either hasn't noticed or doesn't care."

Hook took a moment to take this in, after a couple of seconds, he said, "does wallowing mean drinking?"

"Yep," she replied, bringing the bottle to her lips. As she chugged the liquid she stared straight ahead at the spirit who stood across the room who looked back with narrowed eyes. When she brought the bottle down, Rumpelstiltskin continued to look at her judgingly.

"And how do you think Tink will feel when she finishes work?"

"We're friends, I'm sure she'll be cool with it."

Hook just shook his head, he was sure that he should be telling her that there were healthier ways to deal with emotions, but he knew that it would very much make him a hypocrite. It was for that reason that he stood from the couch and walked over to the kitchen counter. A moment later, he returned with a bottle of rum and two tumblers.

"Fine, one night of wallowing and then you are staying with your parents," he said while pouring more than the recommended amount of liquid into Emma's glass.

"Deal," the Dark One replied.

* * *

**-Meanwhile in the Forest-**

"And who is this Emma?" Arthur asked, smirking at the contemptuous look he received from the wolf.

Ruby took a deep breath to try and calm down, but there was just something about the way he was leant cockily against one of the trees in the clearing that made him that much more irritating.

"Emma Swan-Mills is the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, she is the sheriff and savior of Storybrooke. She's married to Regina, who used to be the Evil Queen and they have two children together."

The male brunette tilted his head as he took in this information, before he replied, "that certainly doesn't sound like the usual tragic story of a Dark One…"

"She took in the darkness to protect her wife," Ruby mumbled, wishing that she wasn't being commanded to answer all of his questions.

"How sweet," he chuckled, "that willingness to protect her could present an issue, I'm assuming that they are True Loves?"

Ruby nodded and said, "Tamsin is the product of their love."

Arthur pushed himself off the tree, his smile growing wider, "perfect. Are you friends with her?"

The wolf swallowed hard, wanting to say no, but she replied obediently replied, "yes, we were before I left town."

"I suppose you are well equipped to get more information," he smirked.

Ruby clenched her jaw, she knew that 'more information' meant he wanted to know what he could do to get what he needed for his plan. Despite her urge to transform into a wolf and rip off his face, she just slightly inclined her head to tell him that she could do what he was asking.

"Hop to it little wolf, I am not a patient man."

* * *

"I believe she is staying with her parents…" Regina mumbled as she pretended to be interested in something across the room. It was honestly terrible to be at a therapy session this early in the morning but she was trying to avoid another quiet breakfast with her despondent children.

Archie resisted the urge to sigh and allowed his eyes to fall down to the brunette's left hand, biting the inside of his cheek, he noted down the absence of the ring. He could see forgetting to put it on, but it had officially been 24 hours now and she didn't seem to be missing the piece of jewelry she had been wearing every day for years, which could only mean that there was some psychological reason that the mayor had yet to notice. No matter how much he wanted to point it out to her, he knew that if he did so, she would only get defensive which would stop her from coming to her own realizations, so he kept quiet and continued with the conversation they were currently having.

"You think?" he asked.

Regina let out a short huff and carried on avoiding eye contact as she replied, "I have yet to look into the matter."

"The matter, Regina?" the therapist sighed, "you do realize you are talking about your wife."

The brunette finally returned her eye contact, but as she did so, she narrowed them and looked at the red- head with all the contempt that she could muster.

"What are you implying, bug?"

She got defensive, big surprise, Archie internally rolled his eyes and held up one hand as if in surrender, "when you use the word 'matter', it seems rather detached. Perhaps you should consider the possibility that the way you try to defend yourself is not helping your relationship…"

"Are you suggesting that my marriage is failing because of semantics?"

"I am suggesting that the way you choose to phrase your arguments does not make Emma feel as though you are trying to make things work as much as you are," he replied softly.

Regina bit her lip and took a moment to consider this, their last argument had certainly escalated after she had called her 'Miss Swan'.

"Perhaps you have a point..." she muttered, once again breaking eye contact. The pair fell into silence, before the mayor decided that she had to ask a question that had been bothering, "has Emma been to see you?"

Archie tilted his head and replied, "you know I can't tell you that, Regina."

"I'm not asking for minutes from your meeting, Archie, I'm simply asking if she has been here," she said almost pleadingly.

When she looked up, she knew that he wouldn't be able to verbally answer her question, but by the look on his face, it was rather obvious that the answer was no. Deflating, she fell against the back of the couch.

"I actually thought that she would…"

The red-head looked at her sympathetically. Her expression was utterly dejected, just as it had been when she had come to see him during the months that her wife had been missing. For a brief moment, he wondered whether the look was so similar because she once again felt as if she had lost the woman she loved. It seemed completely plausible, considering the lack of wedding ring and the fact that she hadn't even bothered to check where the blonde currently was. It was almost as if she didn't want to find her because she didn't want to have to deal with Emma as she currently was.

"Have you considered that Emma has some things that she needs to work through?" Archie asked.

Regina clutched the arm of the couch and shook her head, "she has had months to deal with her internal struggles, if she wasn't ready, then she shouldn't have come back…"

"Regina…" the therapist sighed, seeing the signs that she was once again not able to articulate her feelings. "There is no one in this town who can understand the what she is currently going through. She has no one who she can talk to who knows what it is like to have ancient darkness consume them. She may be the savior, but that does not automatically mean she is capable of beating anything, maybe the reason she came back is because she thought she would get the support she had deprived herself of."

"And she didn't get anything…" the brunette sighed, "I…I just don't…."

"You don't know how to help her?" he asked, when she received a somewhat timid nod, "have you considered simply asking her what she is feeling?"

"That's supposed to be your job," the former-queen groaned in frustration, she could already feel uncomfortable at the thought of trying to discuss inner emotions.

"I'm not particularly qualified to discuss Dark One issues, you, however, have at least an understand of the type of power she has received."

Regina opened her mouth to reply with some kind of quip, but then she remembered Archie's previous comment and she just nodded.

After a moment of silence, she asked, "how do you suppose that I start such a conversation? Emma is more than a little reluctant to talk to me right now…"

"I believe that the first step would be finding out exactly where she is," Archie said softly, "perhaps find a place where you are both comfortable simply talking."

She nodded, knowing instantly where the conversation should take place and she took a deep breath as she stood from the couch.

"Thank you."

He smiled at her and prayed that his suggestions would work, Storybrooke really needed their most powerful couple back on good terms.

* * *

"Emma?" Snow whispered.

The blonde let out a groan and, with her eyes still closed, tried to figure out why her mother was in her bedroom. As she shifted to try and shake the fatigue out of her muscles, she came to the conclusion that she wasn't actually in her bedroom. Letting out another groan, she opened her eyes and remembered that she had crashed on her parent's couch.

Once Tink had returned home, Hook was already suitably drunk, so much so that he had passed out on the arm of his couch. After a brief explanation of what had happened, the fairy had offered to let her sleep on their couch, but the blonde had decided against it, for reasons that she couldn't quite fathom now that she was sober.

Squinting, she sat up slowly, seeing that she was still wearing her jacket and boots and then turned to look up at her concerned mother.

"Morning, mom," she croaked while she fully sat up and placed her hand on her forehead, "what time is it?"

Snow fell into the seat next to her, clearly trying to move passed just how hung over her daughter so obviously was.

"It's about half twelve," the brunette replied, resisting her urge to hug the woman. Though the woman had become more comfortable with displays of affection from her parents, she tended to be far more okay with it if she was the one who initiated it. "I was kind of in a rush this morning, so I must have not noticed you on the couch…"

The blonde nodded and ran her hand over her face, wincing slightly at the pounding in her head as she considered just how much she had drank last night. She was very much regretting it at this moment, though she had noticed the distinct lack of a certain former Dark One in the room, so perhaps it had achieved something.

"Sorry…I should have called before just poofing here…"

The princess frowned and shook her head, moving slightly closer, hoping that it was clear that she never needed to ask.

"You can come here whenever you need to, Emma, you know that…"

"I know," the Dark One sighed, allowing a very small smile to tug at the corner of her lips. Usually when her life was as shit as it was right now, she didn't have anyone to go to for comfort and she had to admit that it felt rather good, even if it didn't fix any of her problems, just sitting next to her mother helped. "Do you have to go back to school?"

The brunette smiled slightly at the hopeful inflection the blonde's voice, but at the same time it kind of broke her heart to heart to hear how vulnerable she sounded.

"I have a free period next and I was in such a rush that I forgot some mid-terms," she replied, "I can stay for a while."

Emma nodded and let her head fall onto the woman's shoulder as she shifted closer and they fell into silence for at least a minute.

Finally, the blonde could feel that her mother was desperate to ask her what was going on. She had no doubt that Charming had told his wife all about their daughter's marital issues and that she was probably just too afraid to ask her what had happened to make her decide to go and get drunk.

"Me and Regina argued last night and I couldn't handle going home…"

Snow nodded, fighting off her natural urge to pry. She really wanted to know what the argument was about, but she had a feeling that it was about the Dark One issue, which she knew she wouldn't be able to understand, let alone offer any kind of advice.

It was for that reason that she decided to just offer what she knew she was good at, "a lot has changed, Regina just needs time to come to terms with…everything. It will all go back to how it should be eventually."

"Eventually doesn't seem as soon when you're immortal," the blonde sighed, only to sigh again when her mother winced. She knew that her parents were as cool as they could be with the savior becoming the Dark One, but she was sure that they probably hadn't thought through all the implications. Such as the fact that she was going to outlive everyone in town and it was honestly beginning to worry her that she was she was having stray thoughts that it made trying to fix everything rather pointless.

"…You just need to be patient, you already know that Regina is your True Love and that is powerful enough to overcome everything…"

"If that were true, then you would have already been freed of this 'curse'."

Emma's head shot off Snow's shoulder and she narrowed her eyes at the smirking figure leant against the television. Rumple looked very smug at the dirty look he was receiving from the Dark One and they continued to stare at each other for a few moments.

Snow blinked a couple of times at the sudden movement and looked between her daughter and the empty space that she was looking at.

"Emma…are you okay?"

The blonde looked over her shoulder, seeming to remember that she wasn't alone and she opened her mouth to say something, but she found that she didn't know exactly what she could tell the woman.

"Go ahead, tell mommy about the mean spirit," he said mockingly, "she will be just as effective in fighting away the monsters as she was when you were a child…"

Emma let out a shaky breath and said, "it's nothing, I think I may still be a little drunk, I'm seeing things…" with that she rose to her feet and continued, "can I crash on Neal's bed?"

"Of course…" the brunette frowned, she couldn't help but notice that her daughter seemed to have reverted pretty quickly to a time when she refused any form of physical contact.

The other woman nodded and tried to offer a big smile to show how much it meant to her, but somehow simply knowing that Rumple was behind her made her think of a word she hadn't in a long time: abandoned.

With a rather confusing half smile she ran upstairs and fell onto what was now her brother's bed with a sigh.

As she fell onto her back, she didn't even have to look over at the door to know that the imp was looking just as smug as he had in the living room.

Before she could close her eyes again, she heard a familiar ding and reached into her pocket and pulled out her iPhone. With a few swipes of her finger, she came to the new text and she read it over a few times:

_**Emma, could we please go for dinner? Just you and I so that we can talk? -** _ _**Regina** _

The blonde stared at the screen and her eyes fell down to the note saying 'seen at 12.41' and she let out a sigh as she just locked her phone and threw it onto the mattress next to her. Regina would know she had seen the message, but she just couldn't find it in herself to reply and she was sure that it had everything to do with the former Dark One who now seemed as though he could easily manipulate her very thoughts.

* * *

**-A day later-**

Emma stared into the bottom of the tumbler and silently wished that she was drinking spiced apple cider instead of malt whiskey.

It has been two days since she had ignored the text from her wife and it was actually beginning to hurt to think that this would be the first time she hadn't eagerly replied to Regina, but she didn't know what she could possibly say. The fact was, she didn't want to have dinner with the brunette and she was sure that it had everything to do with the imp having now officially invaded her thoughts. Every time she even considered replying, all of the fights they'd had recently began streaming through her head on some kind of cruel loop and it all felt very pointless somehow.

How long would it be before she forgot about Regina?

Rumple had managed to move on from Milah, at least it appeared that way, but he had never forgotten about her. Plus, there was the fact that their love probably had never been real. She had been the reason that he turned to the darkness, but the saviour had taken on the curse to protect the woman she loved. Did that mean that Regina was her Belle?

Blowing out a breath of frustration, she downed the rest of her drink and motioned for another. The bartender gave her a sceptical look and the blonde just narrowed her eyes. The man paled and quickly scampered to get the bottle. Emma smirked at the action, before her smile dropped and she berated herself for taking pleasure in being able to cause that level of fear.

"You know, even the Dark One can be cut off," someone said from behind her.

Emma furrowed her brow and spun around in her chair to see an amused looking brunette. She knew that Ruby was back in town, but she hadn't really been in the frame of mind to really care, even if the wolf had been one of her closest friends before she had left, nothing really seemed important anymore. And there was the fact that every time the sheriff interacted with someone as the Dark One for the first time, she was rolling the dice on how they would treat her and she wasn't really up to another person shying away from her. However, the former waitress seemed perfectly comfortable being in her presence.

"He's been looking like he wants to cut me off for the past hour and yet here we are," the blonde laughed bitterly as she held up her replenished drink, it didn't escape her attention that it was now a triple, obviously the bartender wanted to prolong the time before their next exchange.

The brunette shook her head and took the seat next to her friend somewhat reluctantly.

Arthur had commanded her to get more information, but this had been the first time that the former saviour had been out in public since he had issued his commands. The wolf had been more than grateful that she wasn't particularly close to Regina, since that meant she had to wait for the blonde to surface before she could be forced to try anything. The longer it took her to get the information, the longer Arthur would be forced to stay in the forest doing nothing.

The pair remained in silence for a few minutes, before Ruby covertly winced. It seemed that the king of Camelot was getting impatient, she just hoped that he didn't accidentally turn her heart to dust in his frustration.

"You know…I always thought that you and Regina were the perfect couple…"

"I don't know about perfect…" the blonde sighed, "but I guess we were True Loves or whatever."

Ruby tilted her head, feeling a twist in her gut at how broken her friend sounded, but there was nothing she could do to address the actual issue, "You two haven't actually had True Love's Kiss in a while, have you?"

Emma frowned and looked up at the other woman, "We had True Love's Kiss during the Snow Queen crisis like six months ago…are you saying that you actually think we shouldn't be together, Ruby?"

The brunette quickly shook her, once again feeling the twist in her stomach. Arthur had insisted that she make sure that all of the information she had given him was still correct, but she could see that the tactic she had been forced to take was just making the blonde more and more despondent.

"You did say you _were_ True Loves, I was just thinking that maybe you're not anymore…I mean, Regina can't deal with you at your worst…"

Silence fell between them again as the blonde seemed to contemplate this and Ruby could practically feel the anger radiating off the woman, before a shattering sound from behind the bar drew the attention from everyone in the Rabbit Hole.

Emma's attention shot up to see a whole row of glasses had shattered themselves, she looked over to the barman who stood staring at the damage. He looked over to the blonde patron, seeming to decide if it was worth trying to kick her out of his pub, but the fear consuming his features suggested that maybe it wasn't.

The sheriff rolled her eyes and waved her hands, instantly the glasses began repairing themselves until there wasn't even a sign that anything had ever been damaged.

"There's no need to stare," she announced, which caused everyone in the room to look away, though some continued to shoot her curious looks, that were mixed with a hint of fear.

With a huff, the blonde stood from the stool and threw a pile of money onto the bar.

Turning to Ruby, she said sardonically, "as useful as this little talk was, Rubes, let's not do this again anytime soon."

With that, the woman walked away and the wolf turned back around so she could rest her head in her hands, and she muttered, "Sorry, Em."

* * *

**-A week and a half later-**

Henry sighed pushing his key into the lock of the front door and shoving his shoulder into it. His blonde mother had promised to fix it a while ago. She usually lived up to her promises on fixing things around the house within a day of promising it done but then the darkness had escaped Gold and the last thing on her mind was the front door sticking.

"Mom, the door is still stuck…and it's getting worse."

He kicked his shoes off next to his sister's and Emma's boots he hadn't seen her wear in a while. Henry looked away from the shoes line up next each other and noticed he hadn't gotten a reply. Sighing again, he dropped his backpack and glanced at his watch as he made his way over the opening of the living room. His mother was sitting back against the couch cushions nursing a glass of wine.

Normally, he would be concern since it was kind of early in the day for her but as of late without her blonde companion around she didn't seem to know what to do with her free time anymore. For a second he jokingly smirked about having a puppy but it was short lived as nothing would ever really be a replacement for her. Not that he even wanted one.

He leaned against the door frame with his arms folded across his chest, "Mom?"

"What is it, Henry?" Regina answered absently staring down at her phone on the coffee table. He glanced at it and then back over to her.

"The door…" She looked over to him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "It's stuck."

"I'll fix it."

"You said that last week."

"I'll fix it," she said trying to said reassuring. The older brunette stood up from the couch and walked out of the room and repeated, "I'll fix it."

"I'm going to get Tamsin from school," Henry called after her.

"Good. Thank you. I just have some paperwork to finish. I'll be in my study."

"Okay."

The door to the study closed shortly after and the teen glanced into the living room. Over the years his urge to go snooping around decreased and he left that for his sister but the despondent look in his mother's eyes was a bit unnerving. The last thing he wanted was for something to have happened and she decided not to tell him about it. So with a touch of reluctance Henry walked into the room and sat down in front of the phone. Rubbing his hands against his jeans, he reached for the phone and got the past the lock screen quickly. The screen was still on whatever his mother had been staring at and he noticed instantly that it was messages between her and Emma.

_**I just need time to clear my head Regina. I'll be home soon.** _

_**I promise** _

_Don't bother._

He cringed at the conversation and sighed. He loved them both but sometimes he felt his brunette mother wasn't doing much to help the new Dark One. Her entire demeanor, from what he'd seen, wasn't encouraging a positive outcome. He swiped his thumb across the screen and it flickered as it scrolled down to the most recent message.

She had asked to have dinner and surprisingly, Emma hadn't replied. But unfortunately for the Dark One it was marked as read and it was clear to see on her wife's phone. Henry put the phone down and shook his head. He hoped she'd reply eventually and that maybe their dinner wouldn't cause more heartbreaks and voids.

He stepped out of the living room glancing to the study and left out the front door again with his hands shoved in his pockets. Considering how tiring gym had been earlier he grabbed his skateboard just outside of the garage and decided to ride it down to the school and walk back with his sister.

He rode in silence, ignoring the stares directed his way. They seemed to get even more sympathetic as the weeks continued on with no sign of his mothers' relationship getting any better. It truthfully only made it worse. Being more lenient about the homework load on his behalf. It only served as a reminder of what was going on and his brunette mother had to hold her temper every time someone suggested something around Tamsin.

Hopefully that didn't happen today. He stopped just outside the front doors and glanced at his watch. Right on time the school bell rung and dozens of kids poured out of the doors along with a few supervising teachers. Tamsin's teacher walked with the blonde out the doors, grinning at Henry as he looked like a giant towering over most of her students.

"Good afternoon Mr. Henry."

"Afternoon," the boy answered tightly.

"You'll help your sister with her homework?" the brunette woman asked watching Tamsin walk over to Henry. The teen naturally took her hand and then nodded to the teacher. "Good. Have a good evening you two."

"Thanks," Henry mumbled turning on his heel.

Tamsin tugged on his sleeve and he looked down at her, "I wanna ride."

"Okay, Tam," he grinned and sat his board down and put her on it. He pushed forward, moving the board and holding her shoulders to keep her balance.

It was silent but they both managed to enjoy themselves. Tamsin could give up a smile or two but Henry had lost the motivation to do so. They passed by the park and Henry figured it wouldn't hurt to let his sister play around for a few minutes before having to return to the gloomy house they lived in now.

He took his skateboard back and held onto Tamsin's backpack, watching her from a distance.

"You know your mom would want you home by now," a voice spoke from behind him.

Henry spun around and relief overtook him now face to face with his blonde mother. The stuff in his hands fell to the ground and he look at her in disbelief.

"Ma," Henry gasped. "You're-"

"Still the Dark One," she sighed.

"No…alive."

"Why would you think otherwise?" Emma frowned.

"You're not around anymore. You don't even really come home on occasion either."

"I have a lot going on right now, Henry, and me and your mom think it's probably best I try not to deal with it at home. I'll be back soon."

He narrowed his eyes at her, "You're lying."

"Henry."

"What about us? Me and Tamsin? It's hard to deal with this. Tamsin is still practically a baby, she doesn't understand. She misses you."

"I miss her, too. I miss you both."

"She should see you. I'll go get her," Henry said turning around but Emma reached out and grabbed his shoulder. She pulled her hand away as soon as she was sure he would turn back. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she would hurt him.

"That's not a good idea. She'll…it'll only hurt more if she sees me now and doesn't see me again for a while."

"We could come see you after school."

"Your mother wouldn't want you doing that. Look Henry I'll come home soon. I promise."

The teen sighed and looked down at his feet. The blonde thought to speak again but stopped at his movement. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and handed a folded piece of paper to her, "Tamsin made this for you."

Emma didn't hesitate to take from him, longing for anything that would make her still feel connected to her child. She unfolded it with shaky hands. Suddenly tears gathered at her eyes and she bit her lip to hold them back. Something between a laugh and a sob escaped her throat, looking down at the free and messy coloring of the picture with her daughter's name written in the bottom corner.

She wiped away the tears attempting to fall down her cheeks and looked up to her son, "Thank you, Henry."

He nodded sadly, "You should go to dinner with mom."

"What?"

"Mom texted you over a week ago. I saw it. No matter what's going on you always answer back."

"She didn't mean that."

"She did and if you really miss us then you'll find a way to come back home. It starts with that dinner."

"I'll think about it…"

"I should get Tamsin home. She has homework to do." Henry gathered their stuff in his hands.

"She has homework?" Emma questioned sadly. Henry nodded his confirmation, knowing his blonde mother had been wanting to help the little blonde with her first assignment. She had been really excited about it too. "I wanted to help her with her homework…could you take a picture?"

"Of course. I'll see you later, Ma."

"Henry," Emma called after him. The teen took his attention back to the blonde once again, averting his eyes from meeting hers. "Could I-" Before she could finish, the boy embraced her tightly and she held on to him, not wanting to let go.

"Come home," he mumbled into her shoulder.

"I know…I love you."

"Love you, too."

Emma pulled back and put a hand to his cheek, brushing her thumb over his chin, "Tell Tamsin I love her. Give her a hug from…from Mommy. Please?"

"I will."

"Thank you," Emma nodded, taking a step back with the drawing clutched in her hand and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.


	5. Chapter 5

Tamsin frowned down at the page, not even noticing the way that her brother was smirking at just how adorable she looked as she worked.

The little blonde had been more than excited to actually do her first homework, which was something that would fade the more she got. As it was though, she was intently moving her pencil against the page, gripping it harder than she usually would. Seconds passed and she finally brought the pencil away from the page before she picked up the paper and showed it to the brunette teen. Henry smiled at just cautious she looked about her work before he looked at the childish 'A' written on the page.

"Looks good, Tam," he smiled which caused the little girl to grin from ear to ear, "You've got twenty-five to go."

The blonde's smile fell slightly and she pouted while putting the paper back down and considered just how long the first one had taken.

"This is gonna take forever…"

Henry tried not to laugh but he couldn't stop the small chuckle that escaped his lips, "You could always try and write my English paper instead."

Tamsin huffed and she poised her pencil to try on the next letter.

"Why I have to do this?" she sighed.

The teen was about to open his mouth to tell her that she absolutely had to know the alphabet but he was interrupted by the sound of someone shifting their position over by the door to his bedroom. Looking over, he smiled sadly at the woman leaning against the door frame. Regina looked so conflicted, she was grinning slightly at how cute Tamsin was being, but she also looked as if she wasn't sure that she should be there.

"Mom," he tried to say as reassuringly as possible.

At the word, Tamsin looked up from her homework sheet to see her brunette mother. The little girl couldn't help but smile at her, even if she was still mad at her for the fact that she hadn't seen her blonde mother in two weeks. Regina swallowed hard at Tamsin's expression that looked far too much like Emma, but she still managed to smile back at her daughter.

"Have you made much progress with your homework?" she asked.

Tamsin nodded quickly and lifted up the page to show her, "I did the A."

The brunette smiled broadly and took that as an invitation to walk further into the room to stand next to Henry's bed.

"That looks perfect, sweetheart," she said as she got a closer look, "You should get started on the next one though, it is due tomorrow."

The little girl nodded again and she placed the paper back down and actually started on the next letter. Regina stood next to her as she worked for a few moments before she subconsciously allowed herself to fall onto the mattress next to her.

"Try to relax your hand, dear," she said once Tamsin had gotten to D, "you're going to start cramping if you hold the pencil that tightly."

Tamsin tried to hold her pencil more loosely and she pointed to the next letter by way of telling her that she should try the new method with that one.

As she watched her youngest child trying to copy the E onto the lines below it she was completely oblivious to the fact that Henry had brought up his phone to take a picture of the moment.

He knew that it was a risk to include Regina in the picture, but he also knew that it wasn't just Tamsin who his blonde mother was missing. She was missing the entirety of their family and if the savior was here, she would insist on the mayor also helping Tamsin with her first homework assignment.

He took a deep breath and clicked 'send', hoping that this would be the push she needed to actually try and interact with her wife again so that they could become the family they had been before the Dark One business ruined everything.

* * *

"Why is it that you insist on wasting your time?"

Emma just shook her head and didn't even bother to look up from the phone that she had been staring at for over twenty minutes. She could feel the spirit getting more and more infuriated, but she was waiting for an important message.

Rumpelstiltskin huffed audibly and Emma rolled her eyes, finally looking up at him expectantly.

"Why are we here?"

"Because I control the legs and I like the docks," she replied, allowing herself to take in the salty air that reminded her so much of Regina. At first, she had felt guilty whenever she had the urge to come to the docks since it would appear as though she was doing it because of her relationship with Hook, but then she realised the true reason that she loved it. This was where she and Regina had something resembling a conversation after so much silence following the breaking of the curse, it may have been a tense conversation, but the fact was that she had gotten to talk to the women, meaning that was when they had started actually working on building a real relationship.

"Do you honestly believed that sitting on a bench staring at a phone is the best use of your time?"

Emma shrugged and looked back down at the device, "you said that I couldn't watch TV."

Rumple gritted his teeth and she couldn't help but smirk slightly. She was well aware that she was basically just aggravating herself, albeit another part of her, but she had to admit that it was rather fun that she was able to get to him.

"What exactly would you rather I be doing? It isn't as if I have any master plan…" she mumbled, while wondering whether she could refresh her messages somehow.

"You should be working on your abilities; you have much to learn about the magical arts. Especially since all of your experience is limited to light magic…"

"I have all the time in the world," the blonde replied disinterestedly.

"That doesn't mean that you should be wasting it waiting for a message," he shot back.

Emma looked up with raised eyebrows and asked, "why did you ask if you already knew the answer?"

"Of course I know why we're here, how many times do I have to remind you that I am you?!" Emma just shrugged again and he sighed and added, "sitting on a bench waiting for your son to message you a picture of Tamsin is not a good use of time."

"Well I would need the picture if you would just let me reply to Regina, she might actually consider letting me back in the mansion so I could see Tamsin doing her homework," the sheriff replied in an eerily calm voice. She had learnt that there was no point in actually trying to argue with the spirit, so she had instead resigned herself to only being able to mildly irritate him.

"Replying to that message would be yet another waste of time," he growled, "you should have power before love."

"Is that why the real Rumpelstiltskin ended up in a coma with no idea whether his wife actually cares about him?"

The spirit narrowed his eyes at the woman who was refusing to meet his gaze and he replied, "if you truly wanted to reply to your wife's message, then you would have done so already. I don't control you."

Emma pretended not to be listening, but she did try and covertly click onto the most recent message from Regina. Not for the first time, she wished that she hadn't clicked on it in the first place. She was well aware that the mayor knew she had seen it, so it must look to her as if she didn't want to reply. The brunette didn't know that she had spent hours staring at each word, wishing that she could just bring herself to type out a reply. More than anything, though, she wished that she was brave enough to just go to the mansion and tell Regina that she refused to be pushed aside.

Every time she thought of doing such a thing, however, she felt an intense sense of foreboding erupt in her stomach. She was pretty sure that she wouldn't be able to take yet another rejection from the woman she loved. She was barely holding onto her convictions as it was with the former Dark One whispering in her ear. For the first time since she had broken the curse, she actually felt like a coward. There was no magical item that could fix all of her problems and she was pretty sure that she wasn't strong enough to do so herself. After all, to her wife, the saviour of Storybrooke basically died months ago.

Rumple smirked triumphantly when he saw her finger hovering over the keys, desperately trying to type out something, only to be stopped by the darkness seeping through every vessel in her body.

"If you believed that you needed that woman, you would have reconciled with her months ago instead of hiding from those you claim to love."

Emma swallowed hard as she thought back to the time that she had basically isolated herself from the rest of the town. The moment that she had taken in the pure darkness, she had instantly poofed herself away to the forest with the last burst of light magic that she could muster.

Even as it had crept up her arm, the blonde knew that she wouldn't be able to control the power she was taking in. Thoughts of malice had started running through her mind as the power had started melting into each pore. She had suddenly felt intense hate for the parents that had abandoned her, even though she had forgiven them a long time ago. Then came the resentment towards Regina. First she had reminded herself that it had been her curse that had caused her to be alone for so much of her life. Then she realized that the former queen had seen all of the moments of Henry's life that she would never really be able to experience.

That was why she had hidden away for so long, because she couldn't handle hating those that she loved.

However, the longer she sectioned herself off, the more that the feelings had started to melt away. Now, she couldn't help but think that it was probably because the spirit wanted her to reintegrate herself into Storybrooke, since there wasn't much that the Dark One could do living in the forest.

The first few days had been amazing since everyone had treated her as a returning hero, but then she noticed that things had started to change. First she had realised that some people would look away after staring at her golden eyes for too long and then people would start whispering about how different her clothes were.

Of course, none of that bothered her that much, it had been the moment that she had tried to hold Regina's hand and she had flinched away. That was when she realized that not everything was going to be the same. Her own wife was afraid of her. She knew that the former queen was in no way afraid of Gold, so she had no idea why she was so hesitant around her.

"I know…" the blonde whispered, tears pricking at the corner of her eyes as she didn't even bother to deny his claim. If there was anything that she had learnt during her time in Storybrooke, it was that love was pretty powerful. But when she was alone, with the darkness whispering in her ear, she couldn't help but feel as though that it just wasn't true. She felt like seeing those she loved would only bring back the hatred that had scared her so much and the more that Regina pushed her away, the more she could feel it growing within her again.

Before the spirit could try and taunt her again, her phone rang out and Emma's eyes shot down to it, smiling slightly at Henry's name on the lock screen with 'sent a picture' underneath it.

Within seconds, she had unlocked the screen and she allowed herself to smile at the image for a full thirty seconds. Tamsin had her brow furrowed adorably in concentration and Regina was pointing to something on the page as if she were explaining it.

After a moment though, a lump rose in her throat when she noticed the grin that both of them were wearing.

Rumple smiled in satisfaction at her expression and asked, "did you get the message you were waiting for?"

Emma violently shoved her phone in her pocket and stood from the bench and muttered in vain, "fuck off."

* * *

_"Focus, allow the anger to course through your veins," Rumpelstiltskin hissed behind his student's back._

_Regina closed her eyes in frustration and tried to blink away tears. She had seen her mother perform magic many times in her life and not once had she ever wished to be able to do the same. Cora had warped what should have been fantastical into something evil and to be feared. She had used the very power to reach into her fiance's chest and tear his heart out and yet she still wanted to learn it._

_At first, she had never wanted to have anything to do with the magical arts, but that resolve hadn't taken long to break. Being so isolated and alone in King Leopold's castle had brought her to her darkest moment in her life. She had called upon Rumple and accepted his offer to be his student. She believed that she would be able to protect herself from anything if she learnt from him. She would never have to suffer again at the hands of her husband and maybe she could finally be free._

_In that moment though she didn't want any of it. She just wanted to run away and start somewhere new where no one knew her. She still wouldn't have Daniel though and the thought of not honoring his memory almost hurt more than the moment he had been taken away from her. She couldn't just leave without making Snow White hurt just as much as she did. She wanted the power to crush the girl, it seemed like the only way to rid herself of the pain she was constantly feeling in her chest._

_"I can't do it," she said through gritted teeth and dropped her arm back to her side._

_As she turned around, the Dark One tilted his head at his student with pure disappointment written across his face._

_"If you can't perform a simple fire spell, what hope do you have of avenging your dearest departed lover?"_

_Regina clenched her jaw and willed herself to not cry in front of this twisted little imp. There was no way that she wanted him to see just how much he was upsetting her, but it was undeniable that he knew exactly what chord to strike to make her miserable. It had been like this in all of her lessons for about a fortnight. They basically equated to a couple hours of psychological abuse and no progress in the magical arts._

_"Are you going to cry, your majesty?" he goaded with his scaly face twisted in a twisted grin, it was almost as if he was actually enjoying this._

_"Don't call me that," she whispered, looking down at the ground, still trying to keep the tears at bay, wishing that her voice held more conviction._

_"But you are a queen, Regina."_

_"Hardly," she scoffed, bringing her arms across her chest, "I am nothing more than the king's plaything."_

_"Very true," the imp replied, "but unlike his other 'play things' he has given you a claim to the throne. If say, he was to die before dear Snow became of age, it would be you would be expected to take the position of power in the interim."_

_Regina frowned as she mauled over his words, but her eyes quickly widened when it occurred to her just what he was talking about._

_"I would never murder anyone! Not even Leopold."_

_Rumple just let out one of his patent, grating high-pitched giggles and Regina visibly winced at the sound._

_"Not even to be free? It's all you've ever wanted, isn't it? If you become queen, you would no longer have to live under the heel of your mother and with Leopold gone, you would become your own woman, free to love whomever so ever you wish."_

_"I don't wish to love anyone else," she shot back rather weakly._

_The older man just waved his hand dismissively and replied, "the point is that you can be free. You would no longer be the poor little Regina living to fulfil wishes that her mother could never quite achieve and you would no longer be the queen who is mother to a child a mere six years her junior. You will be the monarch, finally powerful enough to control others in the same way that you yourself have been controlled."_

_Regina swallowed hard as she considered this. When she lay awake in her chambers, she often imagined what it would be like to escape from the White kingdom and start her life somewhere far away as a normal peasant. Not once had she imagined the possibility that she could become exactly what her mother wanted her to be and still be happy, but it somehow sounded appealing in that moment. Usurping the throne from the White lineage would certainly be an amazing start to ruining Snow's life and even though the thought of murder caused her stomach to turn in disgust, the consequences of it seemed almost appealing in that moment._

_As she thought, she unfolded her arms and extended her fingers. Allowing thoughts of just how much she wanted to see Snow as miserable as she had been since Daniel's death to consume her mind, she willed that hatred to become something material._

_A split moment later, she felt heat form above her fingers and it instantly went out as her eyes widened and she stumbled back slightly out of shock._

_Rumple quirked an eyebrow at her, amusement written across his face as he said, "hatred seems to work for you, your majesty."_

* * *

**-The next day-**

Regina looked down at her lap and clenched her jaw.

She was no longer really sure why she even bothered coming to see Archie since her relationship with Emma seemed to have only gotten worse since they came to therapy. At least before, they were sleeping in the same house, now she could only assume that the blonde was either staying with Hook or her parents.

"Regina?" Archie asked gently. The man had long ago gotten used to waiting for people to talk first. However, in this case he knew that time was somewhat of a factor, the longer that the savior and former Evil Queen left their issues unresolved, the more likely it was going to have an impact on not only them and their family, but their entire town. He could only imagine what a constant struggle it was for Emma to stave off the darkness every second of the day and Regina wasn't exactly giving her reason to believe that there was any point of doing so. It was only a matter of time before the sheriff just gave into her darker instincts and he was sure that there wouldn't be a person in town capable of stopping her if that did happen.

The mayor took a deep breath and looked up at him questioningly, silently asking him what he wanted, even though she was well aware.

"You made an emergency appointment, so you must have something that you want to discuss…do you want to tell me what it is?" he asked, trying to sound encouraging but it only made the brunette roll her eyes deeply.

"I.." she began, but she cut herself off when it occurred to her that what she wanted to talk about would sound rather childish. However, when she looked up to the therapist, she realize that at the very least, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone what she divulges and said, "I'm here because Emma hasn't replied to my messages…I know that she has seen them but it's been a full two weeks and she hasn't replied. Before…everything…she always replied within seconds, especially when I'm asking her to meet me…"

Archie took a deep breath and nodded sympathetically. He knew that he had told her that she needed to communicate with the blonde, but he hadn't suspected that the savior would be unwilling to do so.

Regina watched him carefully and waited for him to say something insightful, but when he continued to think for a minute, she rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I can't believe that I'm paying for this…"

The therapist shot her an unimpressed look and replied, "perhaps she needs a reason to reply. You have promised to talk to her many times, but she could very well be worried that it will only end in another argument. Make some kind of effort so that she knows that this will be different to every other time."

The mayor was about to say that she didn't know how to do that, but she closed her mouth as a thought occurred to her. She had asked Emma to dinner in her last message, which was something that she had done many times since their issues began and almost every single one had been a disaster. Nodding slowly, she began to piece together a plan, "I suppose that isn't terrible advice…"

Archie chuckled lightly and shifted slightly in his chair as she began to unconsciously run her thumb over her ring finger. Obviously the skin was irritated having gone so long without contact with the gold band, but it seemed as though she was incapable of recognize what the issue was. He knew that there was a chance that she knew full well that the ring was not there, but he highly doubted it. If she knew, then why would she even bother trying to make an effort to mend their relationship? Wouldn't actively not wearing one's wedding ring mean that they would have already given up a long time ago?

Shaking his head to put those thoughts aside, and so that he could stop looking at her finger, he asked, "will you hold it against Emma if she doesn't reply again?"

Regina swallowed hard and refused to make eye contact with the former bug. She could have questioned how he knew that she was going to once again text Emma instead of going and talking to her, but she was becoming increasingly aware that he knew almost as much about her as Emma did.

"I don't know…" she replied, her throat constricting at the thought of once again being ignored by the woman she loved. At the same time, though, her stomach churned with guilt as the many arguments they'd had ran through her mind. She was well aware that she could be unnecessarily cruel but she had hoped that was not something she did around her family anymore. However, whenever she was with the new Dark One she felt the same air of resentment that she did whenever she was with the insufferable imp and she felt as though she couldn't control what came out of her mouth.

"I believe that it may be beneficial to delve into exactly what is causing irrational anger around your wife before you attempt to reconcile," Archie said slowly, hoping that he didn't get his head bitten off for daring to call the former queen irrational.

Regina audibly huffed and considered his words carefully.

The pair sat in silence for a few moments before the mayor stood from the couch and grabbed her purse, "I think I would much rather try my plan first."

Archie was about to protest, but she was already walking towards the door before he could open his mouth. The therapist felt a certain foreboding. He had noticed long ago that the Swan-Mills family tended to be rather rash, since the solution to all of their problems usually lied with some magical item that would end the present crisis. However, they would never try and deal with the emotions surrounding whatever happened. That was truly an issue now considering that their current crisis was completely predicated upon emotions.

"You need to work through your real issues before you can move forward," Archie called out just as the woman made it to the door.

Regina paused and laid her hand onto the knob, hesitating before she turned it. Deep down, she knew that he was totally correct. Even if she did somehow get Emma to meet her, she couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't turn into another altercation. For all she knew, this was going to make things much worse. However, the thought of trying to figure out what was at the core of her issues frightened her more than she cared to admit.

It was for this reason that she simply pushed the door open and walked out without another word.

She had heard that a certain friend of hers had returned to town and that she would be able to help her with what she had planned.


	6. Chapter 6

Regina stepped into the diner, ignoring the glances she received. They were pitying stares now. She'd planned on getting a coffee and leaving as soon as possible until she laid eyes on her friend. Ruby turned from the counter, slowly sitting down her coffee, and offered a sheepish smile. Her facial muscles were desperately trying to morph into something that would better convey her emotional pain but it wasn't like Arthur was going to allow her façade to slip for even a moment.

"Look who dropped back into my town and didn't even bother to come say hi." Regina smirked, feeling a bit relieved of the pressure on her from the mess of her marriage. The younger woman managed another more genuine grin. As Regina came up to her, she pulled the woman in for a hug knowing they both needed one.

She hugged her tight because she felt she'd only returned to town to make things ten times worse than they already were. All she wanted to do was scream that there was another villain in Storybrooke and she had no doubt that would be enough for Emma and Regina to forget about their problems, especially to protect Henry and Tamsin from a madman.

Regina pulled away, smiling lightly to show her appreciation for the moment to forget her problems. "You're the worse friend ever."

"I know, I know. I missed you though."

"I missed you, too, wolf." Ruby rolled her eyes but didn't say anything in response. "Granny didn't give you your job back?" She asked as she slipped onto the stool next to the younger woman.

Ruby just shrugged. "Got a lot on my mind. It's probably best she not hire me back or I'd be spilling your food all over you."

"Wouldn't want that."

"You need to talk." Ruby stated looking down into her drink. She knew this was something Arthur wouldn't let her get out of. He'd probably benefit from whatever they talked about and she'd feel guilty about it but there was nothing she could do.

"It's about…Emma." Regina averted her eyes at using her wife's name. It stung for reasons she was all too aware of but didn't want to think about. She missed her wife more than she ever thought she'd have to. Emma was never supposed to be too far away for so long. She swallowed her sorrow despite it being obvious on her face. "I asked her on a date."

Ruby screamed in her head. Arthur was going to ruin this whole thing for them. Regina looked a little hopeful when she said that but a lot of sadness clouded her hope. "That's good." She forced out, face refusing to convey any of her true emotions. Especially, the one that wanted to tell Regina she couldn't be trusted, that she'd hurt them with the trust she had in her.

"I thought so at first but I'm not sure she'll she be there."

"She'll be there. She loves you."

"Our marriage is falling apart. I'm not too sure about anything anymore but I want our date to work. I want our marriage to work, like it was before all of this."

"Where are you having this date?" Ruby asked, sensing Arthur was listening in to their conversation.

"In the forest, by the well." Regina smiled lightly at the memory that flashed in her mind. "I want it to be perfect."

Ruby put her hand over her friend's. "I'll help you." Regina nodded solemnly. "We'll make sure everything is right so you can have your wife back."

"Thank you, Ruby."

"So what did you have in mind?"

"A picnic. Like before."

* * *

Emma tapped the table and stared disbelievingly at her phone.

"You're acting as though this is not exactly what you want," a voice glowered from behind her.

The blonde clenched her jaw but refused to look over her shoulder at the man behind her. She knew that there was no point trying to ignore him, since it was impossible to ignore her own thoughts, but that didn't mean that she had to engage.

"Emma?" A different voice asked from over by the stairs.

The former savior blinked and looked over in the direction. Her mother stood there holding Neal in her arms and it occurred to her that the woman must have been in the bathroom giving her younger brother a bath. When she had walked in to find an empty apartment, she had assumed that Snow had taken Neal to some kind of baby class.

"Hi," Emma finally said when her surprise wore off, "I didn't think anyone else was here."

Snow nodded as she made her way over to the table, quickly falling into the chair opposite her daughter as she placed her son safely on her lap.

"Neal made a big mess with his dinner…It seemed like it would be better to just skip going to the park when he's being this fussy."

Emma nodded her agreement and smiled fondly at her brother, though it didn't escape her mother's notice that she didn't smile quite as broadly as she used to.

"Is there something wrong?" Snow asked rather pathetically. She knew that there was probably a long list of things that were currently bothering the sheriff, but she could tell that there was something in particular bothering her now.

The blonde bit the inside of her cheek and tried to push aside the thoughts that she shouldn't tell people how she was feeling. She knew that thoughts like that were just another way that the darkness was isolating her from her family. The more she felt like she was apart from them, the more that Rumple would be right and that was something that she was determined to never allow to happen…even if she hadn't quite gotten around to actually telling anyone about the spirit that had been tormenting her for months.

"I got a message from Regina…" she admitted, looking back down to the screen of her phone. "She asked me to meet her so that we can talk…"

Snow frowned, "That's a good thing…right?"

"I…guess…I just…." Emma began, but she quickly stopped when it occurred to her that she had no idea how to articulate her thoughts well. It should be a simple enough task to just reply to her wife, she could have done it weeks ago, and she might even be back home right now. She was being given another chance now and she was still not able to simply reply, which was not something she really even had to do this time. Regina had just asked her to meet her by the well the next day at five, all she had to do was go and then maybe they would be able to work through all of their issues.

"If she can't even talk to you properly in front of a therapist, what makes you think that she will see you as any less of a monster in the woods?" Rumple chimed in as if he realized that he hadn't said anything for a couple of minutes. "If she wanted to work things out, then why has she still not realized that you have her wedding ring?"

Emma visibly flinched, as the necklace under her shirt suddenly felt ten times heavier, but she quickly realized that her mother was looking at her with genuine concern. The brunette had obviously not heard the voice and she was probably thinking that her daughter was going insane.

"I…" the Dark One began. For a brief moment, she considered telling her mother that she had flinched because of Rumple's words, but the words died on her tongue as if there was a force stopping her from telling someone the inner workings of the darkest energy across all of the realms. "I was just thinking of the last time that I actually talked to Regina…it always ended in an argument…I just don't know if I can handle it again…"

Snow's frown deepened, she had the distinct feeling that there was something that the blonde was choosing not to tell her but she decided to put it aside for now.

"Would you rather never be able to talk to her again?" She asked after a moment of contemplation. She honestly had no idea what kind of advice she should be giving to Emma right now. Sure, she'd had fights with David over the years, but they had never really lasted longer than a week at most and they certainly never involved one of them being consumed by an ancient darkness. But she did know that Emma was looking for some kind of help in this moment and she figured that she could at least try and offer something, even if it did feel as though she was oversimplifying the whole issue.

"You argue every time you see each other, would it not be better for your sweet, innocent children if the two of you just stopped trying?" Rumple asked.

Emma clenched her fist under the table at the mere thought of never interacting with her wife again, especially since her definition of 'never again' would now mean for the rest of time, as long as she remained in Storybrooke anyway.

"I…guess you're right," the blonde finally said when it occurred to her that her mother was still waiting for a reply. "I just wish that we could actually have a civil conversation…I have no idea why she's even so angry with me…I haven't done anything wrong."

Snow furrowed her brow and adjusted her body slightly so that Neal could sit more comfortably on her lap.

"Maybe it isn't you that she has the issue with?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" the Dark One asked with a tilted head. She had the feeling that her mother could actually be on to something that Archie might not have thought of. As weird as it seemed, Snow was probably the person who had known Regina the longest, which meant that she knew a lot more about the woman than either of them would probably care to admit.

"The arguments started when you became…the Dark One. Perhaps…it is the mantle that angers her and not you? Rumple was the one who taught Regina to be the Evil Queen…"

Emma looked over her shoulder with narrowed eyes at the apparition, which earned her a curious look from her mother.

"Emma?" Snow asked cautiously.

The blonde's eyes shot back to her mother and she pushed herself up from her chair, "You just gave me an idea…I gotta go," she rushed out.

The brunette nodded, confusion playing across her features as she watched her daughter wave her hands and disappear in a cloud of black-ish smoke.

* * *

"Mom?" Henry asked cautiously while knocking on the door.

"Come in," Regina called.

The teen paused before he pushed his way into his mother's study. He felt a pang in his stomach when he took in just how much sadness there was in her voice and he wondered whether she had felt the same way during the time that he was acting like a complete asshole to her. He chose not to think about that time too much since he couldn't even imagine treating her that way now, but when it did pop into his mind, he felt guilt seep through his system. He was sure that was how Regina was feeling right about now. There was no rational reason for her to treat Emma the way that she was, but it was common knowledge that the former queen wasn't too good with her feelings.

Finally, he pushed his way into the room and smiled over at the woman sitting behind the desk. It was obvious that she was throwing herself into her work in order to ignore the fact that she hadn't talked to Emma in weeks. He imagined that was why she had left her phone in the kitchen, since that would stop her from checking every five seconds whether her wife had replied or not. Emma was still her best friend too and that only made the pain worse.

"Tamsin's hungry…" He announced, choosing to leave out the fact that he was too.

Regina blinked a few times before her eyes shot to the clock and she let out an exasperated sigh. It had been one o'clock when she came in here to read some proposals and now it was six. There was no way that she would be able to make dinner in time for her youngest to be in bed on time now.

"I didn't realize what time it was," she sighed as she rubbed her temples, "You can take Tamsin to Granny's for dinner…"

"You're not coming?" Henry frowned as he walked over to the table.

"I'm not hungry," She said quietly. The teen slipped into the chair opposite her and tilted his head at her. He could tell that she was lying and he had a feeling that he knew what the truth was.

"You don't want Ma to see us and think that we're happy without her?" Regina just looked down at the table by way of admitting that he was right and Henry blew out a breath of frustration. "You could invite her, you know?"

"I could, but it isn't as if she would reply to my message," Regina admitted with a touch of frustration in her voice.

Henry reached forward and closed the lid on her laptop so that he could be sure that he had her full attention.

"What was the last message that you sent her?" He asked.

His mother looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow. She considered that she could just tell him to forget about it and go and take his sister to dinner, but she had vowed a long time ago that she would always tell Henry what he wanted to know. She didn't want to risk losing him and she had been genuinely shocked that he had decided to stick with her through all of this, since even she knew that she had been acting irrationally in almost all of her altercations with Emma.

"I invited her to meet me tomorrow at the wishing well for a picnic…" She admitted.

"She'll be there," Henry said instantly, "She might not be willing to reply, but I know for a fact that she will be there."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because actions speak louder than words," Henry replied firmly, "Whatever is going on in her mind is stopping her from replying, but there is nothing in the world that can stop her from wanting to spend time with you…especially when you're making the effort…"

Regina bit the inside of her cheek and tried to think of an argument. As much as she agreed with her son, she couldn't help the thought that perhaps they were no longer talking about the same Emma anymore. The Emma that she had married would have never spent months away from her family. The Emma that she knew didn't have ancient darkness coursing through her veins that could endanger anyone in Storybrooke at any given moment.

The older of the pair smiled up at him, though it was rather obvious that the smile was rather strained and she nodded.

"I'm sure that she will be there, I just wish that I didn't have to worry about being stood up by my own wife," She admitted.

Henry nodded his understanding and the two of them fell into a silence as neither of them really knew what to say. The situation was difficult enough as it was and they both knew that Regina would only begin to feel less anxious after the picnic had already happened.

"Mommy?" Someone whined from over by the door, "I'm hungry…"

Henry and Regina both looked over to Tamsin who was standing by the threshold with her arms crossed over her chest. Both of the brunettes smiled at the child and Henry slid from his chair to go over to her.

"Mom has a lot of work to do, but we're gonna go to Granny's for dinner," he explained.

Tamsin frowned deeply. She couldn't really remember a time when she hadn't had dinner with at least one of her parents there, but she quickly shrugged it off as her stomach grumbled to remind her just how hungry she was.

"You can take the money out of my purse," Regina announced and offered her youngest child a reassuring smile. Tamsin shot back with a toothy grin and the older woman almost convinced herself that she should just go with them. But then she imagined Emma's face if she saw the 'happy' family and quickly decided against it.

"I'll see you later," she said instead of raising from her chair.

Henry smiled at her sympathetically and turned on his heels in search of her purse. He couldn't wait for things to finally go back to normal.

* * *

"That was rude," Rumple giggled.

"Shut up," Emma said instantly just as the smoke completely disappeared in the air of the forest clearing. If she was going to be talking to herself, she would much rather be doing it somewhere no one would be able to see or hear her apparent descent into insanity.

Rumple raised his eyebrow at her and crossed his arms over his chest with a smirk forming across his face, "What exactly was this great idea that your dear mother gave you?"

Emma clenched her fists at her side and stared at the man for a moment. She had no idea if her idea could possibly be right, but she knew that if she was right, it would give her the opportunity to possibly understand more about how her wife was feeling.

"You…represent every Dark One that has ever existed, right?" She asked after a moment of contemplation.

"Indeed, and you're asking questions that I have already answered," He shot back.

Emma swallowed hard and hardened her resolve, "Does that mean that the darkness gives me access to all of the memories of any of the Dark Ones?"

The spirit didn't reply and that gave Emma the answer that she wanted. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes and started to think exactly what she wanted.

"What are you doing?" Rumple asked and Emma could swear that he was clenching his teeth in frustration.

"I'm testing a theory," She replied without opening her eyes.

Before the man could say another word, images began to flash through the Dark One's mind and her face instantly began to scrunch up at the sheer volume.

"There are thousands of years of memories stored within your body, do you honestly believe that you are capable of drawing out what you seek?"

"Shut…up…" the blonde ground out as she stumbled back against a tree, but still refused to open her eyes to see the amused expression of the spirit across from her. The images continued to flash and her stomach twisted at some of them. She knew that the Dark One was infamous for doing terrible things, but hearing about it and seeing it were two completely different things.

_"They will always hate you."_

_"The Queen is dead, long live the Evil Queen."_

Emma's eyes flew open and she stared at the man for a few moments, "You're the reason that she hates me," she exploded. Rumple tilted his head and stared back with a questioning gaze as the blonde pushed herself from the tree and stalked towards him. "I haven't done anything wrong, but you are the reason that she became the Evil Queen. You're the reason that she spent so long seeking revenge and the reason that Henry hated her for so long. You're the reason that Daniel died and now it's your fault that her marriage is falling apart! She sees you whenever we talk…You're the reason I'm a monster to her."

As she ranted, her hand came up to her neck to clasp around Regina's wedding ring. Once her fingers made contact with it, her eyes widened as another memory flashed before her eyes.

_She was sitting at the counter in her kitchen as silence reigned over the room while Regina chopped vegetables for dinner. It was painfully obvious that neither of them had anything to talk about that wouldn't end in a very loud argument._

_Unbeknownst to Regina, Rumple was standing behind Emma listing all of the reasons that she should just give up on her marriage. The blonde clenched her jaw and tried desperately to ignore him._

_It was for that reason, that she didn't quite notice him waving his hand as she loosened her own fists. A grey shimmer flickered around the ring on the mayor's finger._

Emma blinked out of the memory and narrowed her eyes at the spirit.

"It was you." She growled. "That's why she hasn't notice it's gone...you cast a spell on her."

"We've been through this, Swan, _I_ am _you_ ," he replied, "You may not consciously have cast the spell to make her not realize she wasn't wearing the ring, but that doesn't mean that you didn't cast the spell. It's not my fault that in an attempt to ignore your own mind, you didn't register what you were doing."

The blonde clenched her fist and desperately tried to remind herself that there was absolutely nothing she could actually do to hurt him, but then a thought occurred to her. She considered that she could just go to Regina right now and tell her that she understands, but she realized that Regina probably had some big plan for tomorrow and she didn't want to talk to her before she was ready. However, there was one thing that she could do to prove to him that he wasn't completely in control of her.

In one swift motion, she pulled out her phone and unlocked it.

"What are you doing?" Rumple demanded.

Emma didn't even bother to reply as she typed out her message and defiantly pressed send before her sub-conscious could even try and cause any hesitation.

_**I'll see you then. I love you.** _


	7. Chapter 7

 

"I'm glad you're taking this step, Regina." Archie said with a light smile.

"I want my wife back…without her, my family is falling apart. It's not a family without her." Regina admitted with furrowed brow. "Tamsin asks me every night when her mommy is going to come home and I don't know."

"And that bothers you?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed. She stood up from the couch and started to pace around behind it. "I should know when she'll come back…I shouldn't have to explain this at all. Emma should be home and we should be coming to these sessions and things are supposed to get better but that didn't happen."

"Are you ready for that to happen?" Archie questioned. "For things to start working out?"

Regina didn't respond immediately. There was a long pause and thoughtful silence was always helpful but in this instance, it worried Archie a bit. It was possible Regina was still struggling to differentiate Emma's Dark One from Rumple's former Dark One. Her wife from her former mentor.

"Regina?"

She sighed and pulled out her phone from the pocket of her coat. As she had been since the moment she received the text from her wife. Every free moment of her day had been spent looking at it.

She didn't even really care about the part of Emma saying she'd be there for their date but she had said 'I love you'. There hadn't been a doubt about it, at least none that she was willing to admit but she was just relieved to have Emma say it to her in some way because she did feel guilty for all of this.

"Regina…"

"She replied back. She said 'I love you.'"

Archie saw the joy in her eyes. It shined as if she'd forgotten the fact. As if she was afraid it had no longer been true. But the thought of the reply brought something happy to her somber mood that had stuck to her for too long.

She looked up him, seeking out a comment. She was hoping that it was good as she thought it was.

He nodded with smile. "That's good."

"It is." Regina sighed with a subdued blissfulness, but it was just as genuine as any other expression Archie had seen on her face.

There was a long pause filled with thoughtful silence.

"But…you seem nervous. Are you?"

"This date will be the first time I've seen my wife in too long of a time." Regina sighed. "She may still love me but it doesn't mean my behavior didn't ruin us in a way."

"What is it that's scaring you?"

"Emma may still love me. She may still come home like everything is fine but will it be?"

"I believe that is up to you now. After tonight, if you want Emma home you will do what needs to be done."

* * *

"They'll be there in about an hour." Ruby announced as she walked into the clearing. Despite the fact that the man she was speaking to literally held her heart in his hands, she still managed to sneer at him intently, as if this would make all of the shit go away.

Arthur looked up from the ground that he was sat upon and a huge smile spread across his face at the thought of what was about to come.

"Excellent news." He laughed in excitement. This had been something that he had wanted for so long that he still wasn't quite sure how to process it all. He would be able to finally return to Camelot with a completed sword so that he could finally make his kingdom whole and he could stop feeling as though he had failed his people.

"Which means that you can let me go." Ruby insisted. "You don't need me anymore."

"So that you can run off to your friends and warn them of my plans?" The king shot back. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"I would say that a man who would take on the Dark One and the former Evil Queen isn't exactly a genius." Ruby mumbled as she went and leaned against a tree.

Of course, she had known that he wouldn't let her go as of yet, but there was also some hope. She desperately wanted to go and warn Emma and Regina so that they could kick Arthur's ass and then they could actually have their date and get back together. Then she could go and explain to Belle why she had acted the way that she had and apologize profusely. There hadn't been a day when she was gone that she hadn't missed the librarian. She had finally realized what it was that she wanted and she had left the woman behind in Storybrooke and when she had returned she hadn't been able to comfort her in her time of mourning.

"What was that?" Arthur asked with a tilted head and narrowed eyes.

"Emma and Regina are meant to be together and Tamsin is proof of that. True Love means that there is nothing that will ever break them apart. They have gotten through curses, evil witches and a man intent upon rewriting reality, do you really think that you will be the one to break them apart?" Ruby ranted.

Arthur quirked an eyebrow at her and slowly rose to stand.

"You are talking about Emma Swan. The Savior." He began shaking his head. "From what I have seen she is not quite the same Savior that this town reveres. The darkness that courses through her veins is tens of thousands of years older than anyone who is currently living and you believe that True Love is strong enough to overcome something like that?"

The wolf swallowed hard, but she steeled her nerves and spoke, though with less conviction than before. "True Love is the most powerful magic of all, if there is any chance that someone could get through this…"

"Yes." Arthur laughed. " _If_. Do you honestly believe in the long history of the Dark One, Emma is the first to have the potential to break free? Every time without fail they fell into the darkness. I'm simply offering her a chance to embrace it and truly be free."

Ruby frowned at his words, but she decided that there was no point in asking him exactly what he was planning, she was sure that she was going to experience it first hand in about an hour. If there's one thing that Emma and Regina are good at, it's beating the odds. Ruby firmly believed that but she still hoped they could do it again.

* * *

Tamsin frowned watching her mother pace around the foyer. She tugged on Henry's shirt to get his attention and he looked away from the TV to the display his sister had been watching for minutes now.

He paused the screen and stood up, raising an eyebrow at his mother. Tamsin followed close behind him, marching up to their mother with a curious expression. Henry shook his head and reached out for Regina's shoulder. She stopped and turned to him with a frown creasing the space between her eyebrows.

"Mom, you're weirding Tamsin out." Henry chuckled. Tamsin nodded with her arms folded over her chest but a charming smile she got from Emma on her face.

"Oh…" Regina sighed and picked up the little blonde. "I'm sorry, lovebug. I'm just nervous, darling."

"Why?" Tamsin questioned, innocently. It was a loaded question with too many answers. Her daughter only wanted one answer. A simple one that would lead to a follow up question but at least for now she was a simple little girl.

Had henry asked the question and expected all the answers that should've come with it, she would've been in trouble with her wife for skipping out on their date but she couldn't afford to have that happen.

"I…" She glanced to Henry and then back to the big green eyes looking at her expectantly. "I have a surprise for you. I'm worried you won't like it."

"I like gifts, Mama."

"I know you do." Regina grinned. "I'm going to bring Mommy home, okay?"

It both pained and joyed Regina to see the way her daughter's eyes lit up, like it was her birthday again this year. Like she was getting a puppy after asking for one for a long time. The weight of her mistakes and all the fights she and Emma had in front of their children really set in. It hurt but it was a good thing she planned to make it right tonight. Or at least to.

"Mommy?" Tamsin asked with excitement. "Come home now?"

"Yes, and she'll never leave again."

"Promise?" She frowned, her bottom lip poking out just a little. She looked so much like Emma now that she'd gone without seeing her wife for so long. Every little pout and toothy smile and mentions of being ' _so_ hungry' made her look like Emma and sound. Her little hugs felt like Emma.

"I promise."

"Mommy is sick and she needs soap."

" _Soup_ , Tam." Henry chuckled, swiping at a tear threatening to fall down his face.

He'd been holding it together for his little sister but he was old enough to see that things hadn't been good lately. Though, it didn't seem that way on the surface, Emma's absence hurt him too but at the same time he knew his brunette mother's guilt aggressively ate at her with having to deal with Tamsin's constant questions.

He wanted this night to go well. He wanted the nightmare to be over and his mother could see that. She grabbed his shoulder and squeezed giving him a small smile.

"Of course, sweetheart. Soup and lots of hugs." Regina agreed. "She'll need lots of hugs and kisses, okay? Lots…" Tamsin nodded adamantly, already planning ahead of her. "Okay, I have to go know. I want you both to be in bed by the time I get back."

Henry took Tamsin from his mother's arms. She leaned over and kissed them both on the forehead before taking a deep breath.

"Mom." Their eyes met. "Don't be nervous. She loves you. I told you that."

"I know you did, my little prince."

"Bring her back." He nodded with an encouraging smile.

"I will."

* * *

_Regina sighed in relief when she discovered that the child next to her had finally fallen asleep and she quietly closed the book that she had been reading to the princess. Carefully, she extracted her arm from behind the pre-teen and slid off the bed so that she could make her way to the corridor._

_With one final, and contemptuous, look at Snow White for the night, she lightly pulled the door open and stepped out into the hallway only to stop short when she nearly walked straight into an unexpected figure._

_Holding her hand over her heart, as if this action would stop it from racing, she breathed in and out a few times before she just about managed to calm down._

_"What are you doing here?" She whispered frantically._

_The man before her let out a little giggle. "Oh calm down, dear, the king isn't even in residence for the next week. Which begs the question, why are you reading to his daughter?"_

_Regina quickly looked both ways, praying that there was no guard set to walk down this corridor anytime soon. "If Snow informs her father that I am not acting as the mother she wants me to be, he will surely punish me."_

_"He punishes you enough, doesn't he? So, punish him first." Rumple said rather dramatically and loudly._ _This caused Regina to jump in fright and have another round of making sure that there was no one in close proximity._ _"Oh, don't worry dear, I ensured that no one would be interrupting our conversation."_

_The brunette furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out exactly what that meant. She had heard of the many awful things that the Dark One had done in his very long life, but that didn't mean that she had yet fully comprehended that the man in front of her had done those things. Now though, her stomach churned at the thought that there might be a maimed - or maybe even dead - member of the royal guard who had only been doing his job._

_At the look on her face, Rumple giggled again and assured her. "I cast a spell to deter any onlookers from seeing us."_

_Regina sighed in relief and slumped her shoulders slightly._

_"I was under the impression that our next lesson was tomorrow." Regina stated after she felt the awkward silence pass on for far too long._

_"Considering your husband would not have the opportunity to become suspicious in his absence, I was under the impression that you would appreciate the chance to have more lessons, yes?"_

_Regina looked behind her again, suddenly worried that the sleeping princess behind the door was somehow listening to the conversation, she decided that she was just being paranoid and turned back to look at her tutor and nodded._ _A smile spread across the Dark One's lips and he waved his hands without hesitation to transport the pair of them to another location._ _The brunette blinked away the nausea that she still felt whenever she was taken to a new place by magic, but it quickly passed and she realised that they were stood at the edge of clearing. Her frown deepened when she saw a single man sitting by a lit fire in the center._

_She looked over to her mentor, whose grin widened so he looked eviller than ever._

_He waved his hand and Regina recognised that the shimmering meant that the man could not hear them talking._

_"I thought that this would be the ideal opportunity for you to learn what it means to make good on a deal." He explained, which just made her even more confused._

_"What deal?" She asked._

_"The deal that you made to avenge your True Love. You were just spending your time reading to the very girl who caused Daniel's death."_

_Regina clenched her jaw and fists at the same time. Doing anything nice for Snow White has always been a somewhat painful experience since all she could think about was that if she had never met the princess, she could have already escaped and married Daniel a long time ago. But the thought of actually harming the girl was equally just as painful. She couldn't help thinking that if she did anything that would hurt her step-daughter, she would have officially become the woman that she had sent to Wonderland and she didn't want to ever become her mother._

_"And…what does this man have to do with any of this?" She eventually asked after a long silence._

_"Through the years, I have had quite a few visits from people hoping to strike deals. Last week, a woman arrived at my home in tears, begging me to avenge the death of her husband and daughter by the hands of this bandit." He explained. "In exchange for a rare magical item that has been in her family for centuries. Now that she has delivered this item to me, it is time that I make good on my end of the deal. She requested that I give him the most painful death imaginable."_

_Regina swallowed hard at this information and turned to look at the man. Objectively, he was a criminal and would most likely be sentenced to death for his crimes if he was ever caught. At the same time, though, he would be processed for a justice system and it would be the word of law that would seal his fate, not the Dark One. However, she still nodded in understanding._

_"Okay…But why do I need to be here?" She questioned with an increasing sense of dread._

_"They say that the best method of learning is through demonstration." Rumple giggled, as he waved his hand to end the silencing spell._

_Regina shook her head in protest and fell backwards into a tree, which instantly caught the attention of the man sitting at the fire. His eyes widened, since he had obviously had no idea that there was anyone near him and he shot up to his feet. In one swift move, he pulled out a dagger and pointed it at the pair._

_"Don't you know that it's dangerous in these parts? Someone might want to cause you some harm." He sneered, with all of the confidence of a man who didn't think he was about to die._

_Rumple looked over to Regina with a smirk and flicked his wrist to stop her from looking away and he then stepped out from the shadows._ _The bandit could now see the Dark One's face fully and the dagger instantly slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground and he began shaking his head vigorously._

_"No…no…no…" He began muttering. There were not many around who were not aware of who Rumpelstiltskin was and what it meant when the scaly man emerged from the darkness. "Please, I can give you anything you want…"_

_Rumple flicked his wrist again to root his feet to the ground and began slowly walking towards him, savoring the fear that he could practically feel coursing through him._

_"I'm not one to break a contract." He replied as calmly as possible, finally standing directly in front of him. He reached up and thrust his hand into his chest, pulling out the beating heart in one swift movement. "And this is the only possession of yours of any use to me."_

_The man was about to open his mouth to retort, to tell the Dark One of all of the riches and items that he could give him, but no sound escaped his mouth, except for a pathetic squeak of pain. Rumple didn't hesitate any longer to squeeze the heart until it fell into dust and the bandit slumped to the ground._ _He took a moment to grin at the lifeless body before he turned back towards the treeline to find his student still stuck by the tree, but she now had tears rushing down her face. Her eyes were wide and Rumple imagined that the choice of execution brought back some rather unpleasant flashbacks._

_The restrictive shimmering around her disappeared and she fell down on to her hands and knees as she tried to take some deep breathes._

_"You didn't need to...I didn't need to see that." She whispered as she stared intently at the dirt._

_The Dark One crossed his arms and smiled at her. As much as he was aware that was cruel - not that he much cared - he knew that was something that she needed to experience if she was going to become the heartless killer who would cast his curse._

_"It was completely necessary." He countered casually. "If you're going to avenge dear Daniel, it was something that you needed to experience."_

_Regina scrunched up her eyes at the sound of his name. An image of his expression if he ever saw her doing that to another person and she couldn't stop more tears streaming down her cheeks._

_"You're a monster." She muttered._

* * *

Regina opened her eyes and mentally shoved away her thoughts as she wrung her hands together.

The memories plagued her constantly and she did believe they were the cause of her falling out with her wife. It would have to be addressed in therapy officially but for now she just wanted Emma. Nothing more than that in the moment. Just Emma.

She exhaled a long breath, glancing around the Well. The thought that Emma wouldn't show up had crossed her mind several times and now having the thoughts as she stood here alone terrified her. She wanted this to work because she felt this was her fault. After working so hard through the years, she didn't enjoy the feeling even a little bit of being the bad guy.

The bad parent.

The bad spouse.

A twig snapped behind her and she turned around on her heels. Defense prickled at her skin for a moment until her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing several feet away from her. The prickling disappeared and something warm in her chest replaced its presence.

"You came." Regina said when all her other words failed her. It was easiest and shortest thing that could leave her throat. But unlike words the soft smile wasn't forced out. It was good to see her. Finally.

"Yes." Emma nodded, giving a smile of her own. She glanced around and was relieved to finally have this moment with her wife. To finally have a moment with her. "I know I didn't make seem like it but I'll be there when you ask."

Regina nodded, still smiling. It was growing every second that passed.

"I'm sorry if my behavior has led you to believe otherwise but I still love you just as much as I did a few months ago…years ago."

"I should say the same to you." Regina said, moving closer to Emma who hadn't attempted to move any closer. If it weren't for her wife's words, she would've believed her lack of movement to be a bad sign. "I've done nothing to make you feel any better about this situation when you sacrificed yourself for me…I'm so sorry."

"Me, too."

"Emma, I-" She hung her head. She let out a breath of frustration when the words, that normally came so easy to her, became lodged in her throat. But then two soft fingers were under her chin, lifting her head. Emma was suddenly so close. Breathing her air.

"May I kiss you?" Emma asked with a quiet voice as she stared strongly into Regina's eyes.

"You're my wife."

"I haven't been a very good one."

"Of course, you can."

Emma leaned forward and Regina closed her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before closing the last inch between them and pressed her lips against Regina's. Her hand found itself around her back and the cold grip of her dark mantle loosened its tight hold on her at the feeling of Regina's hands cupping her cheeks.

Though she didn't want to, Emma pulled away first. She sighed and pressed their foreheads together. "I missed that."

"I missed you." Regina whispered, stealing another kiss from her lips.

"I could say the same but it would never really measure up to how it felt to be away from you. Both times."

"Well, you and I both know you're better with actions than words." Regina teased. She stepped away from Emma and took her hand. "Come on, I promised you date."

Suddenly, clapping echoed off the trees and in response, Emma used their interlocked hands to tug Regina behind her. Arthur appeared from the trees with Ruby reluctantly following.

"Ruby?" Regina questioned, stepping out from behind Emma.

"I'm so sorry, Regina." Ruby said with conflict and regret in her eyes.

"You're here to crash our date…?" She asked with a furrowed brow and hope that this was some sort of bad joke.

"No, Your Majesty." Arthur interrupted. He revealed the dagger, confusing Regina. She touched her waist under her coat with her hands even though she knew she hadn't brought it with her. "I'm here for your wife."

Emma frowned and glanced over to Regina. "You gave that to him?"

"No, of course not, Emma. I had it hidden. I had it-" Regina stopped and looked up to Ruby. "You…you took it. You took it from my vault."

"I'm sorry, Regina." Ruby turned her eyes to the dirt below her boots. "He was going to hurt Belle. I'm sorry."

"You're a wolf." Regina argued.

"She's not a free wolf." Arthur smiled. They both looked down to his other hand holding a glowing heart. Then he squeezed tight causing Ruby to double over. "Now you be silent."

"Whatever you want, leave them out of this." Emma said. For a moment Regina really saw the Savior again. "My wife, my friend. Let them go."

"Oh, no. Maybe the wolf but I need her." He said waving his hand dismissively at Regina. Then he held up the dagger to Emma. "Dark One..."

The words became muffled after that. Emma looked to her right and Rumple was there, smiling. Her feet started to move without her permission and she tried hard to fight it. The muscles in her arms and neck tensed at her attempt to restrain herself but it did nothing. Her feet kept moving as her willpower from a few minutes ago went away.

"Emma." Regina reached out and took her hand, in hopes that somehow it would help. She pulled her back but it only jerked her shoulder back for a moment. "Emma, try to fight it."

"I am." Emma replied still moving forward.

"I'll fix this, my love. I promise."

"Dark One, subdue your wife, if you please." Arthur commanded. "She's hindering progress."

Emma suddenly snatched away from Regina's hold and struck her in the throat. Regina dropped to the ground gasping for air and coughing roughly as her hands wrapped around her throat.

"I'm so sorry, Regina." Emma breathed out, feeling like she couldn't breath herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Please stop this." Ruby begged, seeing the terror in Emma's eyes as she looked down at her wife. "Leave them alone."

"Shut up." Arthur hissed, giving her heart another, stronger squeeze. He turned back to Emma, still struggling for control of her body. "Dark One, bring your daughter here."

"What?" Regina questioned with a frown. If looks could kill, he would've died twice from the looks Emma and Regina gave him. "You leave her out of this."

"But I need her. It's part of the ritual."

"What ritual? Why do you need my child?" Emma narrowed her eyes at him. Sweat started to bead up on her forehead as she fought the magic buzzing at her fingertips, ready to bring Tamsin to them.

"Just do as he says, dearie. I'll all be over soon." Rumple whispered in her ear. He was entirely too close for comfort and he served as a reminder that the perfect moment with Regina didn't last long. He had been gone from her thoughts. He had been gone.

"I won't give you my plan. I need her here because you are going to kill her-"

"No!" Emma shouted. Regina fell silent in shock. "I won't!"

"You will. And then you'll kill wife." Arthur smirked. "Now, as I said. Bring your daughter here."

Regina looked up from the ground watching Emma's fingers twitch at her sides. She shook her head at no one in particular, just begging that Emma was strong enough to at least keep Tamsin safe at home. "Please…" She whispered. And then Emma's wrist flicked. She closed her eyes in frustration and against the tears burning her eyes.

A cloud of gray smoke swirled in the center of them and there Tamsin was, dressed in her pajamas. Her beloved was bear hugged to her chest. She looked at Arthur with a frown and then curiosity struck her at seeing Ruby.

"Wolfie?" Tamsin questioned taking a step towards her. It had been a while since she'd seen her god-mother. Ruby could barely give a smile to the little girl as she shook her head in warning.

"Tamsin, no!" Regina yelled springing up from the ground. The little blonde spun around to her mothers and despite the obvious feeling that something was wrong, her face morphed into pure happiness at seeing Emma.

"Mommy!" She cried happy, ready to dart towards Emma.

"No, no." Emma said holding a hand to her. "Stay there Tamsin."

"Why?" Tamsin frowned, her bottom lip beginning to tremble.

"Mommy's sick, remember, honey?" Regina said coming up behind Emma, forcing their shoulders to touch. "We don't want you to get sick." She turned to Emma with pleading eyes. "Please Emma, fight this. For me. For us."

The blonde closed her eyes, letting tears slip down her face.

"Dark One, to me." Regina reached out to her just as she disappeared in smoke and reappeared next to Arthur. "Bind them. I want no interference."

"Mommy?" Tamsin looked to her in confusion, hugging her bear closer.

"Stop this please." Emma begged, fighting the shaking hand that was raising to her wife and daughter. Arthur only sniffed and refused to look at her. She used her hand to stop the other from casting any spell on them. But a mist of magic left her hand and ghosted over Tamsin and then Regina. Emma let out a small sob.

"Now, Dark One, you will do as I say." Arthur said, grabbing her hand and placing the dagger into her palm. Emma's eyes widened at the action, watching him close her fingers around the blade.

Rumple laughed next to her. "Just what I've been waiting for, dearie. What we've been waiting for. True power."

"No. That's not what I want."

"Well, I suppose I'll take control. I am you after all and secretly you want this anyway." He said with a shrugged. "We'll be rid of this pest shortly."

"I don't want this."

"I think you do." Arthur said. "Or Her Majesty's love would have saved you, yes? You want the pain to go away. You want to be finished with this fairytale. Don't you, Savior?"

"Oh we're only just beginning." Rumple giggled happily, closing his fist and Emma's hand tightened around the blade.

"Kill them." Arthur ordered.

"With pleasure." Rumple replied.

"No!" Emma shouted, as her hand begin to shake more. "No…no...god, no..."

It wouldn't be so bad if she just let go. The pain would stop. It would be all over. Her hand raised and her feet moved forward.

She was actually about to do this. Hurt Tamsin. Hurt Regina.

It seemed like she watched helplessly as her feet carried her closer to the little girl. One of her few loves in life. With the dagger in her hand, she was shadowing over her unmoving child with tears in her eyes.

"I hope you don't remember me like this, monkey." Emma said. "I love you so much. I'm so sorry."

"Do it." Arthur demanded.

Her hand shook as it lifted, the dagger coming far too close to Tamsin's chest. She struggled against it as much as she could until her attempts did nothing. Meant nothing when in the end her child was going to die and her wife would follow. That fact was terrifying. Leaving Henry an orphan because she murdered his mother and his sister.

Everything just stopped then. Emma stopped struggling. Rumple vanished from her mind. Tamsin and Regina were released from the spell. Tamsin dropped her bear and looked at Emma with wide, frightened eyes. Emma moved towards her gently only to have her step away.

"I'm sorry, Regina." Emma said, tiredly, looking down at Tamsin.

"Just do it, Dark One!" Arthur sneered not noticing that her resistance was working.

Something angry passed over Emma's face and she turned on him. Her hand slammed against his chest and he was sent flying, Ruby's heart leaving his fingers. The wolf scrambled for it, barely able to catch it in her hand. Emma looked down at her, the anger flickering away.

"Take care of them, Ruby." Ruby frowned up at her in confusion as she shoved the abused organ back into her chest. She let out a sigh of relief as the new weight returned to the formerly empty space. "Em..."

Emma turned back to Tamsin, who was still looking at her in fright but also seemed conflicted because she wanted to be with her. It had been too long since their eyes had met. She gave a sad smile to her daughter. "You remember that I'll always love you, Tamsin."

The little blonde nodded and tentatively, stepped forward and mumbled. "Love you, Mommy."

"Thank you, monkey."

Regina couldn't get a word out as it happened. Her throat still stung from Emma's hand. Regina walked over to them wanting to have both of them in her arms after the night they were having. Before she could get any closer, Emma whispered something to their daughter and she suddenly was surrounded by Emma's smoke, disappearing.

Emma looked up to her, tears staining her cheeks. She held up the dagger as if trying to give it to her. Regina reached out for it but Emma turned the blade to herself, slowly. Her other hand went up to her neck, grabbing onto the ring hanging from the chain.

"Emma-"

"I hesitated."

Fear shined in Regina's eyes at those two words. She'd regretted saying what she said that night. She knew Emma. She even knew this Emma. She would've never hurt Tamsin or Henry and Emma proved that moments ago but it was obvious in the tears coming down her face and the guilt in her eyes that she had held onto those words. She remembered them.

"No…" Regina started, shaking her head and moving closer to Emma. "Emma…"

"I'm sorry." Emma sobbed, releasing the ring and grabbing the handle with both hands.

"Emma, no!"

The blade disappeared into her chest as she pulled it forward. Regina had caught the crook of her arm but by then it was too late. A flash of white light started to glow around the dagger and it turned to ash instantly, leaving a bloody wound in its place. The light flashed bright causing a wave of magic to shoot out from Emma's form. It knocked Regina and Ruby backwards.

"Emma?" Regina called, shielding her eyes. After what seemed like an oddly long amount of time it started to fade slowly.

Ruby stood up first and moved forward towards her friend. The magic shined as bright as it could before it vanished. Though Emma was still there. "Emma?"

Regina stood up to her wife with surprise.

"Oh…"

That was her old Emma. The Dark One gone from her being. Emma Swan stood before her with those blonde princess curls and striking, beautiful green eyes. She was in her favorite white fisherman's sweater and jeans and boots that she was wearing the day she sacrificed herself.

"You're okay…" Regina sighed in relief, pressing her palm to Emma's cheek. Emma smiled, slight and a bit stiff at her.

"Hi." She murmured.

Regina let out a small laugh and she leaned forward to kiss her.

"Em?" Ruby moved closer to the pair.

Emma looked over her shoulder and gave her much the same stiff smile. "Take care of them. Promise me."

"What-" The growing blood stain taking over the spot where Emma's heart was on the back of her shirt finally caught her eye. Ruby watched her fall backwards, dying. She caught her, lowering her trembling form to the ground with Regina following, too shocked to catch her herself.

"Emma." Regina shook her head, pulling the blonde forward by her arms. She cradled her in her lap, holding her body tight. "Don't do this. You were fine…you were fine."

"I'm sorry, Regina. I had to." Emma said.

"No, you didn't. We were going to work it out." Regina cried into the crown of her head. "I was going to be better…everything was supposed to work…"

"Regina…" Emma coughed roughly and a thin line of blood escaped the corner of her mouth. "You're perfect. Rumple hurt you. He hurt you a lot. I understand now."

"Regina…we have to get her to a hospital." Ruby said, swiping at her own tears. She knew she wasn't speaking loud enough for her to hear it. Her hands were shaking and her eyes wouldn't stop burning. Her throat felt like it was closing up. This all felt like her fault. Her friends were losing each other right in front of her.

"No, I'm supposed to work for your forgiveness. Don't do this to me, please. Stay. Just stay."

Emma reached up to the chain and pulled it from around her neck. She held it tight in her fist until Regina realized she was attempting to give her something. She opened her hand to accept it and Emma dropped the ring in her palm. The moment it touched her skin, a gold shimmer formed around her and she looked down to her finger, finally noticing it was missing.

"My ring? I haven't had my ring?"

"I put a spell on you." Emma explained, sounding weaker. "I didn't know I did it. I don't remember doing it and I thought you…I thought you didn't love me anymore. I thought you were going to ask for a divorce soon."

"No, my darling. Never."

"Regina…" Ruby said again. She saw the blood beginning to drip between the former queen's fingers as her hand on Emma's back kept them close. "Hospital." Regina met her eyes for a moment and she saw what Regina had said to her.

She had been trying with every plead she gave to Emma. To hang on until her magic would cooperate. Ever since they discovered love in each other her emotions and magic combined in new ways. This one being the most unfortunate in this moment. This worked up. This upset and heartbroken left her magic on the fritz.

"I love you, Regina." Emma mumbled, tiredly as she pushed the ring back onto her wife's finger with shaky hands.

"I love you, too, Emma. But you have to stay. Please stay." Regina begged. Emma squeezed her hand with a smile.

Her eyes closed and the hand holding Regina's fell to the ground.


	8. Chapter 8

Regina tensed painfully as hands slipped onto her shoulders. "Regina…" She shook her head at the voice.

"I know you're hurting but I think you should go home." Ruby said softly. Her eyes drifted over to Emma lying very still in the hospital bed in front of them. "You need to sleep."

"No. I can't leave her here." Regina argued back but the bite in her voice had gone the moment Emma stopped moving in her arms that night. Ruby sighed and gently rubbed her shoulders encouragingly.

They'd had this debate often and it wasn't the first time Regina had said those words. She was hoping it'd get easier to convince her to go home. Take care of herself. Go be there for her kids. It only seemed to get harder though.

Emma wasn't dead. At least that's what Whale and his machines were telling them. She was in a coma or something similar to it. And that would've been better than Emma dying except there was no way to wake her that they could find.

"Regina, please." Ruby begged. "I need you to go home. Get some rest. Eat. What about Henry and Tamsin? I can't watch them all day…they need _you_."

"I can't leave her." Regina repeated.

"I'll stay here with her. I promise, she'll be here when you get back. I'm just worried about you, Regina. You can't fall apart…not completely." The older woman shook her head still staring at Emma as if she'd miss the blonde waking up – something she hadn't done and wasn't expected to anytime soon.

"I can't…"

Ruby came around the chair and knelt down in front of her, resting her hands on Regina's knees. "Hey, I know this is beyond difficult for you, Regina. I'm here for you. You don't have to be strong for yourself, not all the time. I'm here but you should still find some strength for Henry. He knows what happened and Tamsin is just…she's just a baby. She doesn't know anything…nothing other than her mothers being absent."

Regina blinked, tears falling down her cheeks and she finally looked at Ruby. "It's my fault. I was so cruel to her. The things I said..."

"Don't think like that." Ruby reached up and wiped the tears from her face. "You and I can sit here and think about all the things we did wrong that led to this but that won't wake Emma up."

"Why would you blame yourself?" Regina frowned.

"This is the most you've spoken to me since that night." She grinned. "I helped Arthur. I can't help but feel like I should take some blame."

"You didn't do what I did." Regina countered, solemnly.

"Look, we're not going to talk about that right now." She pulled her from the chair and Regina reluctantly followed her instructions. "You're going to go home for a while."

"But-"

"No, you're going home. Go talk to Henry. Hold your baby."

"Tamsin is no baby."

"She is and she needs you too. Remind you of Emma, yeah?"

"More and more every day."

"Well, no matter how much it may hurt, you do need to see that light in Emma that was passed into your daughter. Npw go."

Regina nodded and moved over to the side of Emma's hospital bed. She leaned down and kissed Emma's forehead. "I'll be back soon, my love."

* * *

_Henry walked in the room with his grandparents and Ruby behind him. They all had bright smiles on their faces and ready to see the new addition to the family._

_Emma was dozing in her hospital bed completely drained from her 12 hours of labor. There was still a lingering smile on Emma's lips though. She turned her head to them sluggishly._

_"Hey, kid." Her voice was hoarse, not to anyone's surprise though. She'd been cursing out Regina in this room through the entire birth._

_Henry's smile widened and he darted over to hug her. Regina looked up from the sleeping bundle in her arms. "Gently Henry." He nodded and hugged her lightly before moving over to the other side where Regina sat next to the bed holding the newborn._

_David and Snow gave soft hugs to Emma as well, David kissing her on the forehead – a now unbreakable habit – and smiled. Ruby hugged her and kissed her cheek distractedly, already eager to see the baby not separated by a window. "How you doing Emma?"_

_"Tired." She chuckled. "Little sucker drained me but it was worth it."_

_"So are you revealing the sex of the baby now?" Ruby asked. "We already had to scramble for unisex gifts for your baby shower. Even the nurses dressed the baby in yellow."_

_"A girl." Regina replied before Emma could get a chance to mess with Ruby a little more. She was tired but that mischievous look appeared on her face for a moment. She smiled down at the sleeping child in her arms. "Tamsin."_

_Emma smiled as the rest of the room beamed. Henry was reaching for the baby and Regina showed him how to hold her even though had done it with Neal plenty of times. She emphasized supporting her head over and over and Henry rolled his eyes but lovingly looked down at his baby sister._

_"What middle name did you two decide on?" Snow asked._

_"Regina…" Emma looked over to her wife who brushed a strand of hair from her forehead._

_"Thomasina Mackenzie Swan-Mills."_

_"Beautiful." Snow gushed moving over next to Henry and brushing her finger over her little nose. Her chin. Little fingers._

_Regina grinned down at Emma and received one in return. She leaned down and kissed her wife wishing to actually make her get some sleep but they just had a baby…_ she _just had a baby. She pulled away and Emma cleared her throat nodding over to Ruby standing next to her father as they talked._

_"Ruby?" Regina called and the younger woman looked over to them with a smile. "We have something to ask you."_

_She walked closer to the bed, laying a hand on Emma's shoulder. "Yeah, of course. Anything."_

_"We want you to be the god-mother, Rubes." Emma said. "You game for another bad kid to chase after?" Regina smacked her arm lightly with a playful glare._

_Ruby looked over to Henry holding Tamsin and shrugged. "Depends…how much does this gig pay?"_

_"Ruby." Regina scolded._

_"Just kidding. Henry's not a bad kid. He's perfect." She said with a nod. "I'd be honored."_

_"Hey!" Henry exclaimed and they looked over to him with a furrowed brows of concern. But he was smiling and so was Snow. "She's waking up. She has your eyes, Ma."_

_"Hello gorgeous." Ruby said trying to get a picture of the baby, glancing at the strangers around her. She seemed to know who they were though, not even thinking to cry for not seeing her mothers looking down at her._

_"Hey there princess." David offered his index finger and the baby managed to take it with tiny fingers. "She's definitely got the Charming chin."_

_"No." Snow rolled her eyes as Henry handed the baby over carefully and moved to take pictures himself. "She's obviously got Regina's chin and jawline but that's definitely Emma's nose."_

_"Jawline? How can you even tell? She was born like an two hours ago. And that's clearly Regina's nose." Ruby argued. "And lips. Then Emma's got just about everything else. Even the hair."_

_Regina and Emma chuckled at the arguing that seemed to only soothed their mellow newborn. They looked at each other with soft smiles. Regina sat down on the edge of the bed next to her, brushing her thumb over Emma's cheek. "You did wonderful, honey."_

_"Yeah…good because I'm not doing that again. This magical pregnancy thing is not my cup of tea." Emma laughed. Regina rolled her eyes. "I think it's your turn, Your Majesty. Time to get your tallies on the board. I already have two."_

_"I don't need any more than you're willing to give. What we have now is perfect."_

* * *

"Mom?" Henry called as the front door closed behind him. It clicked shut smoothly after he had messed with it for almost an hour a while ago.

He left his coat and boots in the foyer, taking in the quiet of the house. It wasn't the best thing to come home to after a visit to see his comatose mother while his other mother tried and somewhat failed to keep it together. Of course, he understood though.

"Mom?"

He went up the stairs, avoiding Tamsin's toys once he reached the top. Though he was never one for willingly cleaning up, something compelled him to pick up the stuffed animals. Tamsin would've had a heart attack about them being moved but she was with their grandparents, so hopefully she wouldn't remember.

At the thought of his little sister, Henry hoped his mother was up for some serious conversation. He knew she wasn't.

The door to his parents' bedroom was opened a crack with a low light shining dully through the opening. He shifted the toys to his other arm and knocked softly on the door. There was no answer and he tried again and waited.

There was a sniffle on the other side of the door before an invitation inside was given to him. Henry pushed inside, finding Regina laying on her side in the bed holding Emma's pillow to her chest. She was staring at the side his other mother usually occupied and he had a feeling before the 'coma', she'd been doing this often.

"Mom?" Henry tried.

Regina turned over and sat up not letting go of the pillow. Her eyes were red rimmed and her nose and cheeks were red. Henry dropped his eyes at the sight and she quickly sniffed, wiping away the remaining tears on her face.

"Yes, Henry?" She asked. "Are you hungry? Have I missed dinner again?"

"No." He shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, letting Tamsin's toys fall onto the neatly made sheets. Regina picked up the stuffed elephant Emma bought her when Tamsin was sick one day. "I just came from seeing Ma. I know you don't want me to go alone but-"

"No, it's fine. She's your mother." Regina said, brushing down the fur on the toy.

"Tamsin's at grandma and grandpa's, remember?"

"Yes, I remember." She nodded.

"You have to pick her up later."

"I will."

A long pause in conversation followed and they just sat there in silence. Regina focused on the little elephant, memories of that sick day floated forward from the back of her mind. For a moment, everything didn't feel so painful. She remembered, vividly, coming home to find Emma on the couch with their daughter practically swaddled in a blanket, laying against her chest as she read her a book.

Henry remembered the day too. It was nice memory but he also recalled Tamsin sneezing on him. A small grimaced appeared on his face but then a snicker escaped him, causing Regina to look away from the elephant.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Tamsin sneezed on me that day." He chuckled. "It was so gross."

Regina's lips quirked gently at the corner from that but a full smile wasn't physically possible for her anymore. That fact quelled Henry's short burst of amusement.

"We need talk…about Tamsin, Mom." He said after a while. Regina met his eyes tiredly. "She hasn't been sleeping well."

"What?" Regina frowned. She had been here every night but she never had Tamsin come into the room about any problems. She never caught her up playing or watching tv at night.

"Nightmares. She sneaks in my room to sleep."

"She never came to me…" Realization hit her hard and fast. Tamsin was suffering because of this. She barely had any parents anymore. Henry had been taking care of them both. "She's upset with me. I promised to bring Emma home that night. I didn't keep it."

"Mom…" Henry said quietly. His brow was furrowed slightly and he seemed reluctant to say what was on his mind. "I think you should take her memories. From that night. Make it so that she was never there."

"Henry-"

"No, I'm serious. She's having nightmares about Ma. She…she told me that she didn't want her to come home anymore. Tamsin is scared of her." He blinked away the tears in his eyes, refusing to make this any harder for his mother to hear. He'd had time to process this. Time to figure out a solution.

But she was hearing this for the first time and he remembered that she was convinced everything that had happened the past half a year was all her fault. So, he wouldn't shed any tears right now. Not when his mother looked even more shattered than she had been before.

Her eyes glossed over with a fresh set of tears ready to break free. Her brow crumpled in pain and she quickly brought her hand up to her mouth when a small sob left her lips. Henry leaned forward and pulled her into a hug. Surprisingly, she fell into it as if she had no strength to even consider resisting.

Her arm came around his back, the elephant still clutched tightly in her fingers. Her other hand rested on the back of his neck like she was trying to comfort him.

"It's going to be okay, Mom."

"No…" Regina protested. "I did this and I left you and Tamsin to deal with this alone. I'm…"

"Don't say it, Mom." Henry demanded. "You're not the Evil Queen."

"Yes, I am. We all knew that."

Henry pulled away from her leaving his hands on her arms. "No, you're not! If you were really the Evil Queen then Tamsin wouldn't even exist. The Evil Queen can't love anyone. Especially, not the way you love us. You and Ma have true love and that love created Tamsin. She's made of magic… _your_ magic."

"Henry-"

"You know I'm right. You feel guilty about this? Fine, I can't stop you. But you can fix it. Take Tamsin's memories. She doesn't need to remember Ma that way if she…" He averted his eyes away from hers. "If she dies. She would hate it if that was Tamsin's last memory of her. Mom…?"

"But…I shouldn't…"

"Mom, Tamsin is scared. Sudden noises freak her out and she doesn't want to see Ma. You have to change the memory."

Regina looked away from him with uncertainty. She felt as if there was no other way than to take that painful memory from her little girl but every choice she's made so far has resulted in her wife in a coma. She didn't want to make another mistake.

* * *

Emma opened her eyes slowly, but she closed them instantly as the light caused her to flinch and practically hiss in pain.

She grunted slightly and tried to achieve a more comfortable position, but it quickly occurred to her that she had no idea where the hell she was and in that moment, she felt that opening her eyes would only cause her more pain. With a furrowed brow, she swallowed hard in a vain attempt to moisten her mouth.

Her head fell back against something rough and she desperately tried to remember the last thing that had happened. Everything felt fuzzy somehow. It wasn't that she had lost her memory, it was just that everything felt so jumbled that she couldn't quite make sense of it all.

Pain surged through her chest and her hand shot up to clutch it, though her frown only deepened when she felt a slow beat against her palm. There was a heartbeat and for some reason that didn't feel right.

"I'm supposed to be dead." She whispered to herself.

"Not quite."

Emma's eyes flew open and she stared at the source of the sound. For a few moments, her vision was completely blurry and she couldn't make anything out. However, the blurriness quickly passed and she immediately recognized that she was in a forest clearing and she instantly knew that it wasn't Storybrooke's forest. It was most definitely the Enchanted Forest but she didn't remember any kind of portal that could have sent her here.

Suddenly images flashed before her eyes and she winced and brought her hands up to cover her face. The look on Tamsin's face was utterly heartbreaking and all she could imagine was that her daughter must be terrified of her right now. Guilt rose up in her stomach and she felt like throwing up at the thought that Regina would have to find a way to explain to the little blonde what had happened to her other mother and Henry would probably understand what had happened, but that didn't mean that it would be any easier for him. Then of course, there was her wife, who would blame herself for everything.

Rumple tilted his head at her, who sat leaning against a tree covering her eyes and he giggled. "What exactly did you expect death to be like?" He asked, guessing that she was planning to cover her eyes until she thought that the spirit had disappeared.

Emma blew out a breath of frustration and removed her hands so that she could once again look at the imp standing before her. The first thing that she noticed was that her skin seemed to have recovered some of its color and if she had to guess, her eyes had returned to their normal color.

"I imagined that it wouldn't involve you." She grumbled, not even bothering to push herself to her feet.

"Your body is still alive so I am still alive." Rumple glowered, though it seemed to lack his usual cockiness. Emma had a feeling that the Dark One had now officially lost and was just messing with her since she had ruined the plans of a being that was thousands of years old.

The blonde tilted her head and looked down at the apparition's fingers, they seemed to be fading and she couldn't help but laugh at him.

"It doesn't look like either of us will be alive for much longer." She replied as she brought up her hand and looked at her facing fingertips. She knew that she should probably be more afraid than she actually was, but it didn't escape her notice that the embodiment of the darkness seemed to be fading much faster than she was.

Rumple snarled at her and his face began to shimmer until it revealed a completely different visage. Emma frowned at the unfamiliar and yet so familiar face.

"Nimue?" She asked slowly. She wasn't exactly sure how she knew who the woman was, but she just knew that she was the first Dark One. The memory of Excalibur breaking was as clear in her mind as if it had happened to her, she remembered the pure rush of power that the woman had felt and what it had felt like to be bound to that infernal dagger. Most all, she remembered spending countless lifetimes trying to be free of the prison, of trying to find a host who would be powerful enough to finally give her what she wanted.

"When I felt your power, Savior, I was so sure that I would finally be free." Nimue growled. "With one act of True Love you have undone everything that I have worked so hard to achieve."

Emma raised an eyebrow at the infuriated woman and wondered for a moment whether she should be afraid of the anger being projected upon her right now, but she couldn't find it in herself to be intimidated. She was painfully aware of the fact that she was already dead, so there was nothing that the first Dark One could do to her. She certainly wouldn't be able to hurt her family which was the whole reason that she had sacrificed herself in the first place.

It was for this reason that she just started laughing and Nimue clenched both of her fists at her side, which only seemed to make it more obvious that she was fading fast. It also occurred to Emma that if she was merely clenching her fists, she was no longer capable of any kind of magic that could do her any harm. Which could only mean that they were both well and truly dead.

"If I really ruined everything for you, wouldn't you be trying to find a way to torture me? But then again, you can't because I'm already dead. The only reason that I'm here is because of the life support, which will eventually fail. You're not going anywhere."

Nimue narrowed her eyes at the cocky blonde. The Savior was being awfully casual about the fact that she was so close to certain death, but then again, she had felt the resignation the woman had felt in the moment that she had decided that death was the only way to protect her family. As long as Regina, Henry and Tamsin were safe, this woman couldn't give a shit about what happened to herself.

The Dark One raised her fading hand and took in a deep breath. Without the ability to manipulate the Savior, she no longer had any way of keeping the light at bay. Since her being had taken residence in Emma's mind, she had known that it would be a struggle to keep control, but she never would have thought that being the product of True Love would make this woman capable of performing such an act of True Love while being within the grips of the darkness. None of it should have been possible.

"You do realize that this is the end for you?" Nimue asked, hoping that she could at least incite some kind of panic within the blonde woman since she was completely incapable of causing her any kind of physical harm anymore. "If I die, then you die."

Emma's eyes flickered down to the Dark One's fading flesh and she allowed herself to think for a moment that she may have been wrong. If her family somehow brought her back just before she completely faded but after Nimue was just a bad memory, then perhaps she would be able to go back to her happy ending.

Of course, there was also a chance that they could bring her back too early and she would return to the same problem that she was in before. It would just be better if she died in that case since she wasn't sure that she would be able to resist hurting Tamsin and Regina again when she was inevitably faced with the same situation again.

"And if you die then the world will be a better place." Emma replied, deciding that there was no reason to hold out hope that Regina would be able to time her revival perfectly.

Plus, there was the fact that she didn't really know how long she had been here, it could be years or seconds before Nimue would be gone.

This strange purgatory wasn't too bad since the Dark One was just as trapped and powerless as she was. She had to admit that it was quite gratifying to think that she was just pissing the woman off by not being afraid of her anymore but with the gratitude also came sadness. She missed her wife and their children.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T/W for everything here. Mainly trauma.

Belle looked up from the book she was skimming through when she heard Ruby yawn. The wolf had been carrying a lot of weight around lately. Helping out with Henry and Tamsin, helping Regina, and helping find out what's wrong with Emma. It was a lot to handle with no sleep.

She breathed out a tiredly and closed the book. Ruby didn't seem to notice so she was able to make her way over to her and take the book from her hands. Ruby looked up to her and reached out for the book, frowning when Belle held it out of her reach.

"That's not funny, Belle. Please give me the book back." Ruby sighed.

"I'm not trying to be funny. I'm trying to..." Belle dropped down into the chair across from her and laid the book in her lap. "You haven't slept in days. I'm worried about you."

"Don't be worried about me." The wolf frowned. She shot up from her chair, almost angrily. "Be worried about Emma. Be worried about Regina. She's barely making it through the day anymore. The kids..."

"And you're working so hard like it's your fault." Belle argued.

"Maybe it is my fault!"

"It's not your fault." She said calmly, despite the fact that Ruby was fuming and upset. "Arthur was manipulating you. He hurt you and he hurt Emma...and Regina. But this is not your fault. This was a rough patch in their marriage that a terrible man took advantage of. "

"A rough patch." Ruby chuckled bitterly. Belle stood from her chair, sitting the book down in her place as tears fell down Ruby's face. "Emma is in a coma. My friend is a coma and her wife is silently suffering. Regina is fallimg apart and there's nothing I can do to help her except fix Emma."

Belle closed the distance between them, seeking to comfort Ruby somehow. It was unsettling to think that if this affected Ruby this strongly she couldn't possibly imagine what this was doing to Regina. And on top of these problems, the former queen had to deal with the fact that her daughter was present through most of the tragedy of that night.

"Ruby." Belle whispered, taking the taller woman's face into her hands. Ruby closed her eyes, forcing bigger tears to roll down her cheeks. "You're trying to do everything alone. You were lost in another realm for far too long if you don't know by now that I am here for you."

"I-"

Belle shushed her, thumbing away more tears. "I wanted to be there for you for a long time. You were my friend."

"Belle..." Ruby started, shaking her head. This was no time for confessions but a moment to not think about her friends' pain was a bit relieving. "You have no idea what it is that I feel for you. I had to leave because of it."

"I love you, too." Belle said gently.

Ruby looked confused, sadness in her eyes but hope in there as well. "How-"

"I spend most of my days buried in books and I watch human interaction very closely. Did you really think I wouldn't see the truth eventually?" Belle grinned.

After a moment of silence, Ruby still processing what was just said, Belle wanted to give her some assurance. Something to help.

"Belle-"

Ruby's words were muted as Belle leaned up to capture her lips in a tentative kiss. The wolf kissed back raising her hands to caress her neck, pushing forward into the kiss. To Belle's disappointment Ruby's tears did not cease but from the soft sound she let out into the kiss the comfort , or more of a distraction, was helping. Ruby pushed forward, backing Belle into a table, losing a hand in her hair.

She pulled back sharply, stepping away from the shorter woman. "I can't."

"Ruby..."

"I can't do this. Not now."

"You need to forget right now. Unfortunately, your problems will still be here in the morning." Belle said pressing her palm to Ruby's cheek. She connected their lips once more even though Ruby stayed stiff. "Do this for yourself. You can be strong for Regina tomorrow."

"Okay." The wolf whispered.

Belle gave her a small, sad smile and nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Snow placed Neal in his playpen where he liked to nap, unable to resist smiling as David sat on the couch with Tamsin, blowing raspberries into her cheeks and her stomach and inciting adorable giggles and squeals. She leaned against the counter and watched quietly.

Having Tamsin helped distract them from Emma's condition. Playing with their granddaughter and being grandparents was a satisfying distraction but at times it was difficult not to see their daughter in the little blonde. A perfect mixture of Regina and Emma but now that they didn't see Emma, Tamsin just looked like her more and more. Those blonde curls were very distinctive.

Just as Tamsin let out another tickled giggle, there was a knock on the door. Snow pushed away from the counter and moved to get the door. She brushed her hand over David's shoulder as she passed by and answered the door.

As she expected, Regina was on the other side. Her appearance was startling and Snow had to keep from gasping as she stepped aside to let the older woman inside. Regina paid her no attention, walking in robotically and refusing to look anywhere other than down at the keys in her hand.

Snow and David exchanged worried looks and both silently agreeing that maybe someone should attempt to talk to her. Because the woman standing in their apartment now was not the woman who once was the Evil Queen. She didn't resemble the woman who had spent years by their daughter's side, saving the town and becoming a hero. Nor was she the woman who married their daughter that had so much light and vibrancy…and the sass that everyone was now missing.

This Regina? This Regina without _her_ Emma was becoming a shell before their eyes. Consumed with unbearable amounts of guilt and sorrow, the former queen had lost a lot. She looked much thinner and tired.

"Regina, why don't you sit down at the counter? Stay for a drink?" Snow suggested. Regina took a seat without protest but it wasn't a guarantee she'd actually have the drink. Or talk.

It was terrifying that she couldn't even pretend to be content while her daughter was around anymore.

"Tea? Coffee?" Snow questioned, coming into the kitchen and pulling out the black mug Regina used to claim was hers every time she was over. The only reaction she even received was the woman letting out a strained breathed. She noticed Regina's trembling right hand and decided maybe tea would help more than coffee.

David tried to resume playing with Tamsin but she was distracted by the tv, not even noticing her mother had arrived and her grandfather couldn't really think any playful thoughts after the sight of his step-daughter in such poor shape.

If one could ignore the obvious misery the woman was in, maybe they could see the mayor in there. Emma's wife. Tamsin and Henry's mother. Maybe. But his eyes didn't show him mercy. It showed him perfect hair and make up and clothes on a woman who was withering away, eaten almost literally by guilt.

In all the years he spent feuding with Regina, he couldn't imagine now that he would've ever have wished this on her.

"Have you seen Emma today?" Snow asked gently, sitting the warm mug in front of the woman.

Regina sat her keys down and instinctively, wrapped her hands around the mug. Snow had to resist her own tears at the way the older woman's face crumbled and smoothed out within a second. Regina nodded in response to the question, determined to mask her heartache.

"Any news?" She asked worriedly.

"No." Regina quietly answered, shaking her head sadly.

"We're going to go visit later today. If you need us to take Henry and Tamsin tonight, we'd be happy to."

"No, it's fine."

Snow sighed and bit her bottom lip as her eyes connected with David's. She looked back to Regina, staring into the hot tea with no intention of drinking it. "Regina…" She reached out and placed her hand on her wrist. Regina closed her eyes tightly for a moment. "If you need someone to talk to, we're here. We're missing Emma too but I can see it's hurting you in far too many ways. You shouldn't hold that in."

For a long minute, there was only silence.

Snow worried that might have been too much to say. If it broke Regina in front of them, she's not sure what this day would end with. It was already too much that David had to go to work every day and see the man who'd pushed both Emma and Regina too far. If Regina broke down now, in front of her daughter who certainly would begin to cry at her mother's sorrow, there was nothing to stop him from possibly – no, unquestionably – murdering that man.

Instead of replying, Regina's eyes shifted over to the pictures opened up on the counter just off to the side. She swallowed roughly and pulled her wrist from Snow's grasp.

"You're moving." She said.

Snow looked over to the house featured on the page and the newspaper of house listings under it. Regina didn't want to talk about what was going on with her. "Well, yes…we're looking. Our family is growing-"

"You're having another child?" Regina asked, looking sick – or sicker than she already was.

"No. We haven't planned on it. We just want a bigger place to stay. We have two children and two grandchildren. We want to be able to accommodate our family. It's bit ridiculous to make you host every family gathering because your house can fit all of us." Snow explained. "Besides, Emma and David want a dog. She said you weren't fan."

"I would have…" Regina whispered. Snow and David's brows creased at the broken tone. It was implied that she would've gotten a dog if it'd bring Emma back, if it would have prevented all this in the first place.

Regina pulled her hands away from the mug and stood from the counter, forcing her keys into her pocket. "I think I should go. I have…work…to finish." She lied. "Tamsin."

David glanced to the child, fallen asleep with her thumb in her mouth. Regina spotted her on the couch and walked over, wringing her hands together before she gently picked up the little blonde from the cushions. He looked up to her, wanting to say something but nothing helpful coming to mind.

Tamsin stirred awake almost immediately and opened her eyes in confusion. She lifted her head from her mother's chest and looked up to her, seeming startled. Her face screwed up much to Regina's surprise. Tamsin pushed away from her and Regina put her down at her silent insistence.

"Tamsin, sweetheart, we have to go home." Regina explained, squatting down in front of the child. Tamsin gave her a hard look with her fists balled up, but she didn't seem to notice. The Charmings looked worriedly at each other, David standing from the couch while trying to figure out how to defuse the already tense situation. "You want to go see Mommy with Henry today?"

"No." Tamsin said, suddenly looking scared. Regina still hadn't decided about taking her memories of that night but she could see now that leaving them was hurting. "Mommy is bad."

Regina suddenly felt sick, face turning dangerously pale. She shook her head and reached out for the child who pulled away. She was devastated to hear those words. "No, honey, Mommy isn't bad. She's just sick. She…she's just…very sick."

"You made Mommy sick. You made Mommy go away." Tamsin yelled with tears in her eyes. She pulled away from her mother's reach and headed for her grandparents bed, curling herself into their pillows.

Snow followed the upset child, leaving David to watch Regina struggle to breath. Her eyes turned wet and her hands were shaking beyond her control. She hurried out of the apartment and David got around the couch quickly to go after her.

Regina darted out the door and pressed her back into the wall, trying to get a breath in but being refused at every attempt. The weight of the words her daughter had shouted crashed down on her. They were true. Every word about her at least. What happened to Emma was her fault and she did make their daughter's mother go away.

She sunk down to the floor just as David appeared outside the apartment, closing the door behind him. He knelt in front of her and reached out a nervous hand, never having witnessed this kind of anguish in Regina before. The moment his hand met her leg, she her body shook with silent tears, true pain showing on her face.

"Regina…"

She sobbed openly, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I killed my wife." She said in the middle of her breakdown. "I killed her…"

"You didn't kill Emma. She's…not dead." David argued, edging closer to her.

"I made her go away." Regina sniffed, tears falling faster from her eyes. "I hurt her and pushed her away. I've ruined this family. It's my fault and I have to live with that forever."

David's face fell from its calm mask and he launched forward, wrapping Regina in strong arms. Her body felt weak and bony and she willingly turned in his arms, unable to fight to get away from the embrace. She cried into his chest and David sunk down to the floor completely, pulling the woman as close as possible without breaking her. He rested his chin on her head with an attempt to alleviate her sorrow with a gentle moving hand against her back.

"Everything will be fine." David murmured because he knew she wouldn't accept the answer that it wasn't her fault.

"Tamsin-"

"Tamsin will be fine. I think you should take her memory of that night. We all agree." Regina let out a shaky breath, unable to protest even if she wanted to. "This is hard for all of us but it's worse on you if you let this guilt take over. Just make something easy for yourself."

* * *

_"I killed my wife…I killed her…"_

_"You didn't kill Emma. She's…not dead."_

_"I made her go away. I hurt her and pushed her away. I've ruined this family. It's my fault and I have to live with that forever."_

Emma closed her eyes against the voices running through her mind. She wasn't sure how exactly she could hear this considering her physical body was undoubtedly still in the hospital and they couldn't have been having this conversation in her room. However, when it came to magic, she had long ago given up on the idea of questioning how things worked.

When she first came to Storybrooke, she would have never imagined that she would have married Regina, had a baby born from magic with her and then ended up in purgatory with the first Dark One who seemed to be spending her final moments in existence trying to torture her with her family's grief.

"Your wife wouldn't need to feel such intense misery if you were to wake up." Nimue said, sounding almost hopeful.

The woman seemed to be getting more than desperate and Emma would be lying if she said that she didn't find that oddly satisfying. This spirit had been manipulating her for months and now she was stuck with her as they both slowly faded away. Forcing her to listen to the sounds of her distraught wife and children though made Emma wish that she could have actually drove that dagger straight through Nimue's heart and twisted it as she begged her for mercy.

At the thought, Emma clenched and unclenched her fists. It was becoming abundantly clear that the influence of the Dark One hadn't completely left her system, the Savior would have never had a thought like that.

She finally opened her eyes and inspected the first Dark One. The spirit's entire right and left arms had dissolved into nothing. Though she was trying to hide it, she was clearly still terrified as the darkness began to bite away at the other areas of her body.

"I can't choose to wake up." Emma replied with narrowed eyes as the sound of Regina's sobbing continued to fill her mind. If she could just wake up on command, then she would already be running to hug her wife tightly. But even if she could do that, she knew that it wasn't an option if Nimue returned with her then it would have all been for nothing.

"Your daughter is afraid of you, are you willing to die knowing that?"

Emma swallowed hard and shook her head. Her head lolled to the side as she looked down to her right arm. Her left arm was already completely gone but her left had only disappeared to her elbow. Nimue was definitely disappearing faster than she was and she could only assume that it had something to do with True Love.

Her sacrifice had been an act of True Love strong enough to banish the Dark One's spirit from her body for a few minutes but it wasn't strong enough to do so forever. The comatose state that her body was currently in was the only way to protect the town from what she could have become under the influence of the darkness. Even if Tamsin spent the rest of her life thinking of her as a monster, at least she would have the rest of her life to think so.

When Emma didn't reply, Nimue tried again. "Your wife is going to spend the rest of her years thinking that she killed you, do you think she'll be able to live with that? She's not looking too good right now; do you think that she'll go back to being the mother that Tamsin and Henry need?"

"Regina raised Henry for ten years. She…doesn't...need me." Emma replied, trying to not allow tears to fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to give Nimue the satisfaction of actually thinking that she was getting to her, though she had no doubt that the spirit was still somehow connected to her psyche because she was smiling.

"No arguments there." Nimue muttered.

"Fuck you." Emma growled.

* * *

David stared into Emma's office, missing seeing her in there rushing to finish paperwork or eating bearclaws or playing with Tamsin on the days she brought her to work on a slow day. He leaned back in his chair and looked down to the bearclaw sitting on his desk. The sight and smell just made his stomach turn.

He picked it up and dumped it in the trash bin next to his desk. Not exactly sure why he thought that was a good idea. A nice reminder of his daughter that he hoped to see back in that office again one day soon? All it turned out to be was a reminder that she wasn't there because she was in a coma.

Footsteps pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up to Henry walking in. He was growing tall, growing older…thinking about playing baseball at one point.

"You wanted to see me, Grandpa?" Henry asked, dropping his bag to the floor next to the chair he took.

"Yeah…" David leaned forward. He clasped his hands together on top of his untouched paperwork. "I wanted to talk to you. How are you…holding up at home?"

"I'm okay I guess." The teen shrugged.

"It's alright to admit you're not okay, Henry."

"I'm honestly fine. I know things aren't good right now but I know Ma's going to be fine." Henry said firmly, leaving no room for debate.

"Okay, well…What about your mother? I want you to be honest with me about her." The teen could see the concern and worry in his grandfather's eyes. He could tell something happened. "Everything."

"She's…not the same." He admitted quietly. "She…"

At his resigned sigh, David knew maybe it was becoming even harder for Regina to keep pretending to be perfectly fine in front of her children. Especially, after the breakdown he had witnessed only a few days ago. They had stayed outside the apartment for over an hour before her tears ceased. He promised not to tell anyone.

"I guess that's the hardest part for me. I know Mom's trying to be strong but it's ripping her apart. She's sick. I can see it." David nodded, averting his eyes for a moment at the memory of how frail her body felt during that embrace. "She sleeps at weird times and only for a few hours. She cries a lot…about Ma. About Tamsin. She told me she still thinks she's the Evil Queen because of everything that's happened."

"We all know that's not true. Even as the Evil Queen she wasn't devoid of love but now she's capable of so much of it…Henry, your mother is having a rough time because she loves Emma so much. You know, that, right?"

"Yeah, I do."

David nodded and sighed. "Anything else?"

"Well, I don't really think she eats. She sometimes only makes enough for me and Tamsin…or enough for all of us, including Ma." Henry said quietly. "But I guess that's kind of obvious. I don't want anything to happen to her, Grandpa. It's hard on me too but if I need to be, I can be strong for her. She just won't let me. Always says everything is fine."

"That's the thing, Henry. You're her son. It's never your job." Henry's brow hardened, something angry passing over him. He found that to be a stupid unspoken rule. "It's my job. It's your Grandma's job. Emma's…Ruby's. Not yours. And I know we haven't been doing a very good job but we'll do better. None of us ever doubted how much your mothers loved each other but it was a surprise that's it has hit her this hard. She shouldn't feel this guilty."

"You promise?"

"I do." He assured. "In fact we're going to come over for dinner. We're not going to push too hard but maybe if the house doesn't feel so empty, your mother will feel a little less..."

"Not okay." Henry finished.

"Yeah. Not okay."

* * *

Regina just stood in the hallway.

It was exactly 1:02 am and she had no idea why she had decided that now would be the right moment to do what she wanted to do since that day at the Charmings' apartment. The thought of Tamsin actually being afraid of her mother made Regina physically sick and she had to hold back tears every time she thought about it. She had decided that she would have to follow through on Henry's suggestion.

However, now that she was standing outside of her daughter's room, all she could think about was what had happened when she had lied to Henry. She had been so close to losing him and the thought of losing another family member physically hurt her. If Tamsin ever found out the truth, there was no telling whether she might react in a similar way to her brother. But there was also the fact that Tamsin believing that Emma Swan-Mills was anything other than the Savior she had always been made the former Evil Queen nauseous.

If Emma never woke up, having one of her children seeing her as the villain forever would devalue her memory and it would only leave her child completely traumatized for the rest of her life. Just earlier, she had seen the little blonde flinch when she had performed a simple spell, she was clearly terrified of magic.

"It's the right thing to do, Mom."

The brunette paused in her pacing of the hallway and realized that she must have been loud enough to gain the attention of her son who never seemed to actually go to bed. She looked over to the lanky brunette and she offered him a weak smile, but didn't reply.

Henry knew exactly what the look meant. She wanted him to continue to convince her.

"Tamsin doesn't need these memories, they're not memories of the real Ma. It'll only be hurtful to her in…the long run…" He said, trying not to swallow hard at the end of his sentence. He didn't want to admit it but despite his hope, there was still the distinct possibility that Emma would not be surviving this ordeal.

The act of True Love had already happened with the Savior taking the dagger to the heart for her wife and daughter, if that wasn't enough to ensure her survival, then he wasn't really sure what would be powerful enough to save her at this point. He did know, though, that there was no sense in allowing Tamsin to remember anything. She was too young to have seen something like that and he couldn't really see any way that she would ever actually find out in the future unless someone decided to tell her. Either way if Emma lived or died, there was no way that anyone in Storybrooke would actually tell her the truth.

Regina looked over to the door and for a moment she allowed herself to take a trip down memory lane. She allowed herself to think about a time two years ago when Tamsin had a nightmare. She had woken up that night to find that Emma wasn't next to her, she had gone to searching for her wife. The door to Tamsin's room had been open and she found the little blonde curled up in Emma's arms as they both lay asleep. Regina had simply leaned against the door frame and watched them sleep for a good couple of minutes. She had drunk in just how adorably similar the two blondes were.

Now, when she woke up and Emma wasn't next to her, she would get the urge to go and check Tamsin's room. On the one occasion that she had actually allowed herself to do so, she had found Tamsin asleep with her face scrunched up as she tossed and turned. A hollow feeling had grown in her chest as it occurred to her that the only person who could possibly soothe the little girl was the very person who she was having nightmares about.

She took a step towards the door and looked over her shoulder, only to receive an encouraging nod from Henry.

She took the final step forward and pushed the door open.

The room was in complete darkness with the exception of the stars illuminating the ceiling. Emma had carefully put them up there as Regina insisted that she could have simply done the same with magic, but the blonde had been adamant that she wanted to do it herself.

Regina swallowed hard and looked down from the ceiling and to the bed. As expected, Tamsin was tossing and turning while making the occasional whimpering sound. The brunette took a few deep breaths and made her way over to the bed, sitting gingerly down on the edge to ensure that she didn't wake up the little blonde.

Regina simply watched her for a few moments, she looked like she was physically in pain and she just knew that she was reliving that night again as she had many times over. In that moment, she knew that this was the right decision. Her little girl was being tortured by her own mind and it was her job to protect her from that torture. Emma would have done it without a second thought if it meant protecting their daughter from pain.

The mayor closed her eyes for a brief moment and allowed herself to imagine what she wanted Tamsin to remember.

She saw images of the blonde staying home with Henry all night. She wasn't poofed away to the clearing and she never saw Emma do anything. She would remember that Emma had saved Regina when Henry had been told what had happened and she would remember sitting in the hospital worried with her brother, both of them waiting for their mother to come back to them. As much as Regina wanted to take away every bad moment, she knew that there was no way she could let Tamsin believe that Emma would be fine in the event that she didn't pull through, that would only make things worse for her.

Regina opened her eyes and then held her hand over the disturbed girl's forehead as she whispered a short incantation. When she was done, she watched as the girl stopped tossing and turning and all of her muscles seemed to relax at the same time. She suddenly looked more like the girl who had been asleep in Emma's arms and Regina only wished that was an image that could see again. She leaned down carefully and placed a soft kiss to Tamsin's hair.

"It's going to be okay, Mom." Henry assured as he stood in the doorway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it has abruptly come to my attention that we are at the end of this story. The next chapter will be the last, followed by an epilogue.
> 
> Withgirl and I thank you guys so much for hanging in there with us. Co-writing this has been a journey we've enjoyed. Hope you've enjoyed.
> 
> Until next time...


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are. This is the last chapter. An epilogue will follow.
> 
> Enjoy.

Archie frowned at the woman sat across from him and his eyes drifted down to Pongo who was also staring up at the brunette from the ground.

Regina herself had her lips tightly kept together as she kept her eyes cast down to her lap as she had been doing for the last ten minutes.

She looked far paler than she ever had before and it looked as though her eyes hadn't been given the chance to recover from the last time that she had cried. Archie was surprised that she had shown up for every appointment since Emma had been admitted to the hospital, though it did make sense when he thought more about it. The Dark One had asked her to go to therapy, so this was obviously one of the only ways that Regina felt that she could try to start making things up to the woman who she spent almost every waking hour of the day watching unconscious on a hospital bed.

The Dark One had asked her to go to therapy, so this was obviously one of the only ways that Regina felt that she could try to start making things up to the woman who she spent almost every waking hour of the day watching in a hospital bed.

She didn't say much during these sessions since there wasn't much to say anymore, but Archie knew that he needed to start laying the groundwork now for the event of the savior dying. If the mayor was this distraught now, he didn't think that she would be able to continue to act as mayor and mother without her wife, which would mean that Tamsin and Henry would essentially lose both their mothers at the same time. Emma would roll over in her grave if her children became orphans.

"Have you heard any news from Doctor Whale?" Archie asked, deciding that he could no longer sit in this silence for another session.

The woman obviously wanted to talk to someone about how she was feeling. She couldn't talk to her children. Her only friends were her parents-in-law and Ruby but it was safe to assume Ruby was still too ashamed to talk to Regina since she was so instrumental in Arthur's plans.

Regina looked up from her lap and Archie couldn't help but swallow at the defeat on her face. He wasn't sure that he could help her if her True Love died. It was undeniable that things could have ended differently if they had found a way to better communicate. Since they had stopped trying to defeat each other, they made the perfect team and it was now painfully clear what happened when they were at odds.

"Nothing," she replied in a rather hoarse voice as if she was no longer used to talking – or people talking to her for that matter.

Archie nodded and stopped himself from looking at the clock to see how long was left of this session. He truly wanted to help Regina, but as the woman liked to point out, he did get his PhD from a curse.

Regina tilted her head, under other circumstances she would have smirked at the fact that she seemed to have rendered the cricket speechless, but it didn't exactly bode well that not even the therapist could think of something to say that would make her feel better. That meant there was nothing that could make her situation any better. Well, there was one thing but she didn't really like to think of getting her wife back when it seemed impossible.

The man nodded again and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out and Regina sighed audibly as she inspected the cautious expression on his face.

"Were you about to ask me how I feel?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. It didn't look the same in her disheveled state.

"I…" Archie began, but he trailed off and bit the inside of his cheek.

"My wife is in a coma and you're asking me how I feel about it?" She asked incredulously, "I feel like my world is ending and it's all my goddamn fault."

Archie's eyes widened at the words. She hadn't said more than a few words at a time lately.

"Your fault?" He repeated, deciding that her outburst had just given him the perfect way to start the conversation that they needed to have about her wife, "Did you stab Emma with the dagger?"

Regina fell back against the couch and crossed her arms over her chest as she looked back down at her legs and tried to blink away the tears at the corner of her eyes, "I might as well have," she muttered.

"Why is that?"

The brunette rolled her eyes and looked back up to the therapist who she hadn't expected to say anything in this session and took a deep breath. If she was paying for this, then she might as well use the opportunity to voice the thoughts that had been lingering in her mind.

"I treated her like a villain for so long that she actually began to believe that it was true. She would have never had to…sacrifice herself if she didn't believe that she was capable of hurting Tamsin," the brunette replied, "I treated her…"

"Like she was the Dark One?" Archie supplied.

Regina blew out a breath and nodded, "Emma could have never been anything like Rumple, but I somehow convinced her that she could be."

"Rumpelstiltskin was instrumental in many bad things that happened to you, the association alone-"

Regina held up her hand and shook her head, "That may be true, but Emma is responsible for every perfect thing. There is no excuse for the way that I treated her."

Archie opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. He could think of many ways that he could justify what happened from a psychological point-of-view, but the fact was that none of the explanations that he could think of would help the woman. Telling her that the kind of association she made between Emma and Rumple was completely understandable, but pointing it out didn't mean that Emma would wake up. There was something, however, that he thought could be rather pertinent.

"Emma proved to you that she isn't the Dark One through her sacrifice, Regina. She was strong enough to fight against the most powerful energy that has ever existed to save you and Tamsin. Emma loves you but she also loves Henry and Tamsin. They need you to be strong…"

The man trailed off when he realized that Regina's expression had morphed into one that he couldn't decipher. She didn't look angry, but she didn't look like she was about to cry either. It was obvious that she agreed with what he was saying, but she was still working through what he meant.

She knew that she hadn't been a particularly good mother since that night, but she hadn't considered that she could be diminishing Emma's sacrifice. She swallowed hard when she realized that Snow and Charming had also lost Emma, but they were keeping themselves together for the sake of the children in their lives.

The last time that she had thought she had lost the love of her life, it had created the Evil Queen, but this time, she had two people in her life who were completely reliant upon her. She couldn't regress into a state of depression whilst they needed her.

Silence reigned on for about thirty seconds and Archie shifted in his seat as he considered whether what he had said was too much, but Regina finally said something in a very small voice, "Emma isn't dead…"

She didn't say 'yet' but the implication hung in the air and Archie smiled sadly at the woman. He was sure that she was thinking about the fact that the Charmings seemed to be in the habit of surviving at the last moment, but she didn't want to voice this thought since that would mean that she was admitting that she had some hope. He couldn't tell her to have hope since he had absolutely no knowledge of anything magic-related and Regina didn't seem to believe.

Silence fell between them again, Archie was about to say something else but he was cut short by the sound of Regina's phone making a small 'ding' sound.

Regina pulled out the device and frowned when she saw that she had a message from Charming.

"Have to go," she announced quickly as she stood up from the couch. She looked concerned as she escaped out of the door leaving Archie looking a bit fearful of why she had to leave so abruptly.

* * *

Tamsin colored in a little book as she sat on the bed next to Emma. David had been reluctant to let her onto the bed but it was hard to deny her time with her mother. Even if it wasn't ideal, if Emma were to never wake up, her body couldn't be kept here forever. So, though this wasn't great, it was still time. She was insistent upon it after he and Snow had told her that maybe Emma could still hear everything she said to reassure her.

Henry sat in a chair closest to the hospital bed with his headphones in, doing homework in his notebook. According to the teen doing his homework here helped him focus. David was just afraid it was because of how things were at home.

Regina was getting a little better. From what Henry was willing to relay she tried to follow a routine. Although it was hard to say if she was actually getting a decent sleep at night. Tamsin, however, didn't seem to notice their mother's distress.

"Papa?" Tamsin looked up from her coloring, giving him expectant green eyes. She looked just like Emma.

"What's wrong, Rollie Pollie?" David asked, standing up from his seat and walking over to the bed.

"Candy, please?"

"Candy? That's going to spoil your dinner." He teased poking her nose. Tamsin grinned. "Mama won't be too happy about that will she?"

"Please?" She asked again with an even bigger toothy smile.

David relented and kissed her forehead, pressing a finger to his lips. He always told Regina if Tamsin had any candy but she liked it if she thought they were having innocent little secrets.

He let his eyes drift over to Emma and leaned down to kiss her forehead as well. "I'll be right back." He patted Henry on the shoulder and the teen nodded.

With a short glance back in the room, he closed the door and started to move towards the vending machines. He slipped a dollar into the slot and picked out Tamsin's favorite chocolate bar. Once it was in his hand, David turned to go back but was stopped by the sound of Regina's heels nearly rushing down the hallway.

She was practically out of breath and still, unfortunately, very pale. It was safer to say she was getting a little better at hiding things. Physically, she wasn't doing well. It was noticeable in her eyes when she'd recently cried and her frame was thinning.

"What happened?" Regina questioned with a brow furrowed in fear and concern. "Is Emma…did she…?"

"No." David said, shaking his head and putting his hands on her arms to assure her. "No. She's the same."

"You said-"

"I probably should've worded it differently. I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" She frowned.

"This whole situation. Things are hard for you, I understand that-"

"Do you really understand?"

"You built a family with Emma. I can understand that." He wiped his hand across his face and turned his eyes in the direction of the room he'd left Henry and Tamsin in. "I need you to do something for our family. Have faith...hope."

"Hope?" Regina asked, with a disbelieving laugh. "You can't be serious. She's-"

"Not dead. Emma isn't dead but she won't wake up if you don't have hope that she will. It's up to you. We all are holding on to our hope but you're her True Love."

"I've kissed her every day. Nothing ever happens."

"Regina, true love is a powerful thing even without the kiss, it counts for something."

"I don't know anymore." Regina said in a quiet voice. "I did this to her. I did this to us. That's not love."

"Her sacrifice was. She did it for you and your daughter, who is the result of your love. If you want to make it up to Emma, you'll have hope. Believe that she'll come back. You owe her that."

Regina didn't respond for a long minute but eventually, she nodded.

"Good." David held out the candy bar to her and she took it. "For Tamsin."

* * *

_Regina's closed her eyes in frustration as tried to make her hands stop shaking. This was the last locator spell that she was capable of casting and if it didn't work then she had a feeling that she would never see her wife again._

_For the past three days, she had all but locked herself in her vault as she desperately tried to formulate a method to locate the newest Dark One, but she could only assume that there was something blocking her power. Every time she had those thoughts, she tried to simply push them aside and force herself to focus on the task at hand._

_Finally, she opened her eyes and tried to focus her attention back down to one of the last books in her library. However, before she could start the incantation, she heard the distinct sound of boots hitting the marble and she sighed. All of this solitude had finally driven her mad._

_"You know that trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity," a voice said behind her._

_Regina's hands paused from their attempt to readjust the book in front of her and she felt all of her muscles tighten at the familiar - and yet so different - voice that she had longed to hear for days._

_She finally turned around and took in a sharp breath at the sight of the woman leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. That wasn't an altogether strange sight considering the number of times that her wife had stood petulantly behind her as she tried to work, it was just everything else about the woman that gave Regina pause. She was clothed head to toe in black, which she normally would've found seriously attractive, and then there was the hair. Regina had only ever seen Emma with her hair down or in a loose ponytail, so the slicked back, bleached white look didn't suit the woman she had fallen in love with all those years ago. If Regina didn't know any better, she would swear that this wasn't even the same woman._

_"I..." Regina began before she realized that she had absolutely nothing to say and she clamped her mouth shut as her eyes continued to inspect all of the differences between the former savior._

_"You're usually more articulate than this?" Emma asked with a smirk that certainly didn't belong on her face._ _The brunette frown deepened as it began increasingly clear that Emma's voice was also slightly different. She wasn't sure that she liked this version of her wife._

_"Where have you been?" Regina asked when her mind finally caught up with the situation and she felt anger flooding through her system._

_Emma just tilted her head at the woman, as if she was genuinely surprised that the woman would be pissed at her for disappearing. Regina frowned as dozens of emotions passed over the Dark One's face until she settled on indifference._

_"I've been…processing everything," Emma replied with a furrowed brow, "Everything is so different now and I just need some time, Regina."_

_Regina wanted to shout and say that she didn't get to have time when she had two children and a wife, but none of those thoughts actually left her mouth. The fact was that she was elated. Part of her had been so worried that her tracking spells hadn't been working because there was no one to track. The thought that she would spend the rest of her life trying to find someone who died was heartbreaking and she was so relieved that she now knew for sure that the darkness hadn't destroyed her wife completely, even if she did look different._

_"It doesn't have to be different," Regina argued._

_Emma uncrossed her arms and then looked down at herself as if she were making a statement, "You know that isn't true, Gina. I'm just asking that you give me some time and believe that I'll come back…"_

_Regina turned her eyes to the ground. They had never spent more than a few days away from each other, but she supposed that the woman who had thrown herself into the darkness for her deserved some space._

_"Is that all you came here to tell me?" Regina asked in disappointment since she had hoped that this meant her wife was back._

_The blonde's eyes darted to an empty space in the vault and she narrowed her eyes at the thin air as if it had said something taunting to her._

_Regina frowned, but she was cut off from questioning the action when the blonde said, "I…really need to go…but can you trust me when I say that I'll come back? You don't need to force me…"_

_The brunette nodded before pausing at the last part. If she could have forced her then they would have had this conversation a lot sooner. However, she couldn't question it as a black smoke engulfed the Dark One._ _The moment that the woman disappeared, Regina got the answer to the question._

_A jagged dagger lay on surface beside the wall inscribed with 'Emma Swan-Mills'._

* * *

Belle shifted her eyes up and then back down to the book on the table in front of her when she heard the door in the background. She looked up to the doorway when she heard the sound of boots and knew it was Ruby.

Blush painted her cheeks as she stood up with the book in her hands, ready to exchange it for another. They hadn't gotten much chance to talk after they had been intimate for the first time. Ruby had felt guilty afterward, having forgotten about the chaos going on for only an hour or so.

"Aren't you supposed to be working?" Belle asked.

"I needed to see you." Ruby answered. The shorter woman turned around with a furrowed brow to see eyes looking at her intensely. Belle quickly surprised when the wolf backed her into a table.

"Ruby…" She chuckled uncertainly, wondering how many people were in the library. Ruby took the book from her hands and tossed it on the table. Belle attempted to push the woman away as she started to kiss her neck. "We can't. There are people here."

"They're occupied." Ruby mumbled.

"What happened to focusing on helping Regina?" Belle questioned, swallowing down a moan.

"I need a distraction." Ruby sighed against her neck. Then she took Belle by surprise, lifting her up onto the surface. As a result, a stack of books fell off the table, in the way of the wolf's advances. The loud thud was surely going to be ignored by them both but Ruby caught something in the corner of her eye. She pulled away from Belle's lips and tilted her head.

"Belle..."

She followed Ruby's eyes to the floor where the fallen books had landed. There was a book opened up on the floor and Belle gently pushed Ruby away to get to it. She picked up the book and read over the words on the page. Her frown deepened with every line.

"What is it?"

"It's an excerpt on hearts."

"Hearts?" Ruby questioned with a skeptical expression as she wiped the smeared lipstick from her mouth. "What is that going to do?"

Belle folded a few pages and closed the book. "Wake up Emma."

* * *

"Breath." Regina hissed.

The hand in hers had been slowly growing cold. It hadn't been enough to convince her that Emma was eventually going to die but now her skin was steadily turning to ice and becoming paler. She swallowed her tears, roughly wiping away the tears on her face.

"No, Emma. Not yet, please. I need more time, honey."

"Regina, we need you leave the room." Whale said as the nurses scrambled around them. "Please?"

She looked down to her wife and kissed her hand. "Breath, Emma." She backed away from the bed and walked towards the door. The angry beeping of the machines started to get louder in her ears, watching as they attempted to resuscitate her dying wife.

All her doubts were coming back. They wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for what she did. Emma didn't deserve the treatment she received when she became the Dark One. It had been all her fault. If she had never found so many reasons to fight with her, Arthur wouldn't have been able to take advantage of their broken relationship.

She blinked long and hard, hoping that it would stop the beeping. But though it had nothing to do with hoping for it, the beeping did stop. Regina opened her eyes to Whale sighing in relief and requesting an oxygen mask for Emma.

Regina stay there in the doorway, protectively watching over her wife. She stayed there until it seemed they were done and Whale approached her with a solemn expression.

"Regina, I think we should start talking about what happens when she doesn't wake up."

"Not right now."

"But-"

"Not now." She repeated. Whale nodded and left the room, leaving Regina alone with Emma's still form.

She walked back inside and sat down on the edge of the bed, taking Emma's hand into both of hers. She rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm the cold skin and kissed her knuckles before she held her hand against her cheek. Emma was getting paler and it was getting harder to ignore.

"Please, Emma. Tell me what to do." Regina pleaded. "I'll do anything to wake you up. Tell me how to help you. Just tell me."

Feet shuffled into the room after she had a couple of minutes of silence. She looked over her shoulder to Henry who had his eyes glued to Emma. Snow and David were off to the side with Tamsin in her grandfather's arms. She looked curiously over to her blonde mother and her face scrunched up instantly.

"Mommy?" Tamsin reached out for Emma and Regina averted her eyes to Belle and Ruby behind her. She let out a shaky breath and Ruby put her hands over her shoulders and squeezed lightly.

"It's okay." Ruby whispered into her ear before she leaned down and slipped her arms around Regina, hugging her from behind.

"She just needs that so she can get better." David explained to the child quietly.

"Don't-" Regina started but stopped herself from shouting at him. She let out a quiet sob and Ruby hugged her tighter shushing her and telling her it was okay.

Belle shared a look with the Charmings who nodded to her. David stepped out of the room with Tamsin still in his arms, distracting her with the bribe of some candy from the machine. As soon as they were out of earshot, Snow closed the door as Belle stepped closer and laid the opened book on the edge of the bed next to Regina.

"Mom." Henry walked over to the other side of the bed across from her, startling her with his deep voice that she didn't recall he had yet. But she'd almost been out of her body since that night in the woods. Her little prince was becoming a man and Tamsin was just turning into a little Emma in every way and their mother was missing it.

"Mom." He repeated. "You're going to wake her up."

"I don't know how." Regina shook her head.

"Belle found something, Mom. Look at it."

Regina looked up from the bed and over to the book that had a picture of a heart on it. She looked up to Belle and the younger woman smiled sadly at her.

"When a Dark One is stabbed by the dagger their heart turns to ash but considering Emma was born of true love and she's the savior, I believe her magic is what's trying to keep her in this state of…living."

"What are you saying?" Regina questioned.

"We need to split your heart like Snow and David and give half to Emma."

"I can't."

"What?" Snow frowned. "Regina, she's your wife."

"It won't work." Regina argued, standing up from the bed and shrugging Ruby off. "That method only works with True Love and this is not True Love!"

"Mom!" Henry shouted.

"I did this to her, Henry. I did this to everyone..." Regina paused looking down to Emma. "I can't…"

"No. You can't give up. That's not what we do. We have hope. I know you think you messed up but you're human. You made a mistake but you can fix that. You didn't do  _this_  to her, Arthur did. I believe in you, Mom."

"I believe in you, too, Regina." Snow said.

"You don't even have to ask." Ruby smiled.

"I don't know you as well as they do but I see Tamsin every day and she is magic." Belle said sounding amazed as she picked up the book. "That's True Love. The only reason she exists is because of how much you love your wife. And I know you don't love her any less."

"You can do it, Mom." Henry encouraged as his mother stared down at Emma. "We all believe in you. I know Ma does, too."

Regina closed her eyes tiredly. She wanted to be done feeling so miserable…so incomplete. No one could understand that she would never be whole without this woman. She was tired of being without her in their bed. Tired of leaving for work in the morning and not sharing that overly domestic kiss goodbye with her. She missed being consumed with the feeling of being completely and endlessly in love.

She inhaled deeply and nodded. "Okay…Do it."

Taking out her heart wasn't difficult but it did sting. Ruby carefully split it and placed half in her hand and the other back in her chest before she convinced everyone to give her some time.

Regina leaned down over Emma's face, brushing her fingers through blonde hair.

"I need you to wake up, my love." Regina stroked her hand over her cheek. "It's hard without you and I can't spend the rest of my life feeling this way."

She looked down to the half heart in her hand and pressed her forehead against her wife's. "I swear if you don't come back to me, Emma…Just come back."

Regina took a deep breath and carefully pushed the organ into her chest. It was reassuring that it slipped in with ease and she hadn't felt any kind of pain erupt in her chest. Her heart had been accepted. She hoped her love was enough to wake her wife.

She stepped back slowly and waited already feeling some heartbreak that Emma hadn't moved an inch. She bit her lip in restraint, shaking her head.

"I don't want to let you go. I'm not ready. If anything, I expected you to outlive me." Regina wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm so sorry for everything I said to you. You never did anything wrong and yet all I saw was the Dark One I knew…you were still just my wife.

* * *

 

"Dreaming about your life will not bring it back to you."

Emma let out a deep sigh and she cracked open her eyes to see what was left of the fading Dark One. From what she could tell, all that remained of her was a torso and head and it already appeared as though part of her face was quickly disappearing.

At this point, she had no idea how long she had actually been wherever this was, but she could tell that she was reaching the end of her time in limbo. The sound of constant beeping was making her wish that she could tell Regina to just let her go. She could only imagine what it must have been like to have to watch Dr. Whale constantly bringing her wife back to life. She knew that Regina would probably never be ready to let her go, but Emma couldn't help but think that at this point, hope could only breed eternal misery.

"Just shut up," Emma scowled at the remains of the Dark One before she shifted in her position and tried to make herself more comfortable. There was far more of her body remaining than Nimue's but that didn't give Emma much hope. It would be safer for everyone involved if she was just allowed to die so that they could be sure that the Dark One would be gone forever.

"Thinking about past happiness whilst waiting to die seems like a rather pathetic end for the great and powerful savior."

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes for what was probably the millionth time since she had arrived in this place. She didn't think that it was possible that a spirit of the Dark One would piss her off more than Rumple had, but Nimue just seemed to be that much more irritating.

"It's better than talking to you," the blonde replied, as she closed her eyes and proceeded to try to think about spending time with her wife and children instead of being in this place.

The blonde smirked at the familiar frustrated sigh that filled the clearing. There was just something so satisfying about pissing off the woman who had ruined her perfect life, even if it didn't bring her back to her family at least she knew that Nimue was just as afraid of dying as she was.

However, before she could allow herself to become lost in another memory, words that she had never heard before echoed around them.

_"I swear if you don't come back to me, Emma…Just come back."_

The blonde's eyes flew open and she looked around the clearing as a heavy feeling burst through her was staring at her with wide eyes, clearly also aware of the sudden shift, in fact, there was a distinct image of terror within the Dark One's eyes.

A blinding light filled the clearing and engulfed them. Emma closed her eyes against the light and felt a pulling sensation across her whole body accompanied by the sound of Nimue screaming in pain as the last remnants of her being were eradicated.

It felt as if she was at peace.

* * *

_The alarm clock beeped loudly on the night stand._

_Regina reached out and shut it off with her face still pushed into her pillow. She turned over on her side, preparing herself to get up._

_A grin appeared on her face, remembering the reason she was still tired. Emma got home late and it was a habit to stay up and wait for confirmation that her wife was in bed next to her. Instead of sleeping, however, they were caught up in a heated love making session until very late._

_Something about Emma last night had just made it impossible to not indulge. The way her hair fell down her right shoulder as she undressed to get into pajama pants and her usual t-shirt. The blonde had been glowing in the moonlight for some reason and though she always looked sexy to her, Regina found her to be too desirable to resist._ _Her cheeks turned pink as she thought about it._

_As if on cue, Emma turned over under the covers, draping her arm over her waist. The warmth of her body increased as she snuggled into Regina's back and pressed her cheek to the back of her neck. Emma's other arm slipped under her body and Regina was sure the woman was awake enough to know it was time to get up._

_"Good morning." Emma mumbled, kissing her shoulder._

_"Good morning, beautiful." Regina replied locking her fingers in Emma's against her stomach._

_"That's my line."_

_"I never get to say it."_

_"You can call me beautiful whenever you like, baby."_

_"I don't get to say that either."_

_"Are you pouting?" Emma questioned with a chuckle._

_"No. I'm just now realizing."_

_"Gina, you can call me whatever you want. We're married, why are you just now noticing?" Emma felt her wife shrug and rolled her eyes. "Does it have anything to do with last night? That was unexpected and very…sexy. What happened?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Well, you were horny as hell last night. I was barely under the sheets before your hand was in my pants."_

_"Maybe that's what it was…" Regina said more to herself than Emma._

_"What was that?"_

_"I was wondering why you looked a million times sexier than you usually do."_

_"I don't know what I did when I walked in but I'm going to do that again. I've never enjoyed being sore from the waist down since I met you." Emma teased, leaning even closer to plant a kiss right behind her ear. "You can be on top again."_

_"No." Regina shook her head adamantly, sitting up. Emma groaned as her arms fell to the empty spot on the bed. "We need to get ready for work."_

_"Please?"_

_"No. We can't."_

_Emma reached out as she sat up and pulled the brunette back into bed. "Please, Regina. Play hooky with me."_

_"Emma, I can't-"_

_"It's Friday. Let's do it. You, me, and the kids." She heard the silent protest almost immediately. "We've been too busy. Just take the day. For me?"_

_"I would love to but-"_

_"Mommy!"_

_Both she and Emma turned to the door to see Tamsin smiling widely. She looked proud of herself for barging into the room. Regina grinned as the little girl tried to climb her way onto the bed. The mayor elbowed her wife as the blonde chuckle watching their daughter try to get up to them._

_"Help her, Emma." Regina scolded lightly._

_Emma picked Tamsin up and sat her in the space separating them. The child leaned against Regina and Emma kissed the top of her head before looking up to her._

_"Are you convinced?" Emma asked looking hopeful. Before Regina could even answer Henry walked in and laid himself out on the opposite end of the bed._

_"Hi, moms." He greeted. Tamsin crawled over to him and smacked his chest playfully. He looked up at her, feigning outrage. Regina and Emma chuckled at them as Tamsin started to mess with him even more after he asked her why she was always hitting him with something._

_Emma slid closer to her wife and wrapped her arms around Regina. The brunette didn't hesitate to get comfortable in her embrace, sharing a kiss with Emma without a thought._

_"I love you." Emma whispered._

_"I love you, too." Regina sighed with a grin. "I suppose we can stay."_

_"You're the best."_

_"I would assume you think so. You married me, didn't you?"_

_"Yes, I did." Emma smiled. "Best decision I ever made."_

* * *

The silence continued on and Regina closed her eyes in devastation, seeing that giving part of her heart had no effect. She wanted to blame herself for not believing enough. Maybe even for not loving her wife enough.

"I love you, Emma. I hope you know that."

The monitor beeped and caught Regina's attention. It had been beeping and clicking constantly but it spiked. She walked to the other side of the bed watching the monitor for another unusual beep. She watched in anticipation to see if it was working but the room went silent and her face fell.

To her surprise, the body in the hospital bed behind her suddenly shot up. Regina jumped but quickly recovered seeing that her wife was awake and alert.

"Emma?" She questioned in disbelief.

The blonde was disoriented and a bit confused as she looked around the room. Regina engulfed the younger woman in a hug that Emma vaguely felt in her confusion. She didn't much react to Regina kissing her cheek and her temple and touching her face.

"Emma, you're back." Regina said with her voice mixed between a laugh and a cry. She leaned her forehead against Emma's temple, still holding her close. But she finally registered that her wife seemed out of it. "Emma?"

Green eyes that she had missed terribly turned to her. It seemed there was no recognition there. "Emma?" Regina questioned worriedly. "Are you alright? You do remember me, don't you?"

"Of course, I do." Emma said in return. Her voice was hoarse but it was still soothing to hear. "But where am I?"

"The hospital."

"I'm alive?" She asked with a frown. "I thought I-"

"Yes, but you're alive. I woke you up."

"What about the Darkness?"

"It's gone, Emma. You destroyed it when you…" Regina averted her eyes. Emma was instantly distraught to find her wife crying, attempting to stay silent. She reached up, causing the electrodes on her hand and arm to fall off, and cupped Regina's face. The brunette put her hand over hers and savored the touch. "I'm so sorry. You didn't deserve the way I treated you."

"Don't cry." Emma said, pulling Regina into a hug. "We talked about this, baby. It's okay. I understand."

"No, it's not okay."

"Hey, look at me." Emma lifted her chin so their eyes could meet. "Are you still my wife?"

"Yes."

Emma took her hand entwined their fingers, kissing the set of rings on her hand. One was hers and she smiled at her wife. "Well, it's a start."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hope you enjoyed reading this as much as we loved to write it. It's been quite a journey one we really loved. Withgirl and I are grateful that so many of you have followed this story over nearly two years. Thank you all so much for your patience and reviews and favorites.
> 
> Maybe we'll see you again for another story but for now, maybe check out our other individual stories.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!


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